powerdive

Yessir, we've done better fishing the tops of the shad schools this year also. Don't know why. Probably just doing it more because it's just more fun when you can watch your lure, raise it up, and entice a fish to come up out of the school and take it.

We fished out of Cape Fair last weekend. Broke ice to start the day. Saw hundreds of gulls diving on thousands of small shad, and there were lots of floaters. So yes, there was a bit of a shad kill in progress up the James, anyway.

TC, excellent info. Thanks!

West end of the 215 (Mile Long) bridge, underneath the the bridge on the north side. It's a steep/bluff shoreline with a nice flat shelf above the waterline, and there's a marked brushpile there within casting distance. Probably tops out at about 20 feet. Jigs or slip bobbers/minnows fished at various depths would probably score some fish once you zeroed it in. Pitch a jig along the bluff, you might score a walleye also.

I believe there are trout all through the lower story of the lake. I caught a 4+ pound rainbow while trolling at 30 feet between Bear Creek and Tucker Hollow, in May. And a brown about the same size at K Dock in November...

Walleye 8 lbs. 5 oz., C&R in June 3 years ago. Have caught a couple other 27 inchers that didn't get weighed. Still looking for that first Table Rock 30+, but the eye fishing was so good at Bull last year that I never made it over to TR. Accidental bass, 22", late July.

A keeper and a short...

What goes around, comes around. Kudos to your buddy...may we all be so kind.

Whoops, here it is:

All fish will eat whatever's available--eat or be eaten. But yes, walleyes are notorious for being cannibalistic--probably because their shape is darn easy for most fish to swallow. Anyway, here's a pic for perspective...

Glad for your good fortune, Dutch, and sorry for your misfortune. Odds are not good that the same fish would be around, unless there's an exceptional supply of easy food (large shad? small walleyes?) and great stable conditions (such as a spring holding everything right there). I think the walleyes are pretty nomadic. But as countryred said, there could be others around. Big fish spots tend to re-supply. Note: a friend caught a 23 incher out of 55 feet last week that puked up an 8 inch shad. That fish was mixed in with quite a few smaller eyes under a shad school.

Fishing always moves me to a melody, rps. Only the words are changed to protect the innocent.

fishinwrench, the old minimums were 2" to walk on, 6-8" to drive on. And that's good clear ice. With no snow on it, you just look down--there'll be cracks that you can see, and they'll give you a good idea as to the thickness. Keep a couple screwdrivers in your pocket, in case you have to pull yourself out. Hard to get a handhold on wet ice. And kick hard with your feet. I miss those cold, starry winter nights when the lake was makin' ice... booms and cracks and odd creaking sounds echoing through the night. You'd swear you could feel it through your boots. Kinda eerie out there--something you never forget.

Every so often Stockton will ice over, but seldom thick enough to walk on. I've heard tell of one or two people giving it a try during an extreme cold snap when there was sufficient ice in a cove, but that's just hearsay. You wouldn't find me out there, Jeff. Lake ice is too fleeting around here, and the water levels constantly fluctuate. Wait it out, and it'll be gone soon. Gave my ice gear away when I moved down here...don't miss it one bit. I'd rather be in a boat any day.

I've been on the water in single digits. But I was so much colder then... ...I'm warmer than that now.

The plot thickens....

Yes, brushpiles in any depth can be productive this time of year. Not all brushpiles will hold fish at any given time, though. Any sonar should have no problem showing shad schools--they'll look like big globs down in the water column. For my deep fishing I generally go to places where the river channel brushes a point, then cruise in and out over the dropoff looking for fish/shad. The channel rim is a key spot for walleyes, especially, but you'll find walleyes and crappies alike suspending inside the shad schools. On New Year's Day, we caught crappies on the channel drop where it was 54-58 feet deep. We positioned our lures anywhere from 1 to 8 feet off bottom, as that's how thick the "show" of fish was. And we also caught some from a thick brushpile on a quick-sloping point. The water was 30-40 feet deep and the brush topped out at 25-30 feet, so we just tickled the tops of the tangle, and the fish came and got 'em. (Note: we saw some hooks in and around the brush, so we knew there were some fish there.) Our one walleye came from inside a small 2-3 foot thick shad school that was right on bottom next to a 4-foot ledge that went from 34-38 feet. Fun stuff!

We fished Wednesday, and saw 38-degree water all day. Won't take much to skim it over. The crappies were biting well at 54-58 feet. Also got a few over brush at 25-30. Only had one walleye, although it's been very good for the eyes so far this coldwater season.

Somebody please start a "TV sports thread for wimps" so real fishermen don't have to wade through this tripe. And then I won't be tempted to throw in a "Go Pack!" and make it worse.

You've put your time in and earned your catch, QB. Because of your dedication, I truly believe you'll stick a monster soon. Of course, it'll probably be caught trying to eat the one that's struggling on the end of your line...

Well done, QB.

gitnby -- hour, minute, second.

Sorry, QB. I really wish you were the lottery.

You mean the green carp, don't you? Champ, really, what's a greater nuisance--an occasional walleye, or five billion voracious runt bass? At some point they've gotta exasperate even you brainwashed bass anglers.

ten_scoach, we've been spooning up good walleyes (some whites and crappies too) on sharp breaks in 30 to 45 fow. Look for places where a mainlake point brushes the river channel. Yeah, you need your sonar...good luck!