Lance34

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The month of December has just flown by. I guess things go by quickly when you’re having fun. Fishing the past few weeks has really picked up. I’ve gotten out about every week Search different places. Some places I put a big X on until the lake fills up more and some places are hit or miss. Mainly depends on wind direction on some. Then a couple just stay consistent no matter what. Best bite for me has been rigging shallow. 4-6 fow. Places I move deeper have fish but can’t get them to bite too good. A couple weeks ago it seemed like I could only pick them off of wood and roaming fish would run off. This last good rain we got really helped the shallow bite a lot. I would catch them with it being just a little stained but was a grind. Heavy cloud cover would help those days. Once when the water clarity got more brown after the good rain. That made them bite less finicky. Made a big difference. That’s what I’ve been waiting on the whole month. Just a good rain. Hopefully will keep getting these rains to keep dirtying up a little. Basically focusing various shallow mud flats. You can’t see these fish a lot of times on LS. It’s just over time of fishing this lake and knowing different lake conditions at certain times of the year. I just know they are there. Kind of like it that way. I don’t have to focus on the Livescope screen and just rig old school. Just stay attentive to my poles because when these fish hit and run. Being with such a short amount of line out you got to grab that rod quick before they let go or rip the hook out of their mouth. It’s fun a method to fish and have to be extremely patient with it. Set up was rigging 16 foot BnM BGJP’s with 1/2 double minnow rigs I tie up using Pico Lure/Vanguard Terminal Tackle. Drop down to 3/8oz if conditions are just right. Water clarity is brown. Lake elevation was 1122.2 and WT has been ranging from 45-50, depending on the weather. Good Fishing Lance

The last several weeks I’ve been fishing a flat that I traditionally fish now this time of year. One trip the bite is great. The next it’s a grind. One week their shallower 13-15 fow, the next their 18-20 fow and on the bottom. The days I’ve gone where it’s a grind. There’s zero wind and high skies. Just has always worked out the day I can go it’s those conditions. Yesterday they bit pretty steady. Not a grind but not stellar either. Have to get away from the shad. When the shad is stretched out for yards on end. Get out of it. Look for more clumps or nothing and just roaming fish. It’s been more consistent then. I guess it not really a grind just takes time to break the flat down each trip. Like fish are here, too much shad over there, there’s nothing here. Okay fish are located here today, fish here. Best consistent that last couple weeks is minnow rigging 17-20 fow, 15 feet deep to the bottom. Pic from the last few trips and a donate trip that went to homeless veterans in NWA Good Fishing Lance lh crappie guide service

I tell you what. I’ve caught more deformed fish this year on Beaver Lake than I ever have. I don’t know what’s causing it but, their head keeps being too close to their tail…. It’s gonna be insane in about a year or so though. Previous trip got started about 7am. Had to head up a feeder creek to escape a 15mph northwest wind. Tons of small fish are there and you’ll find a keeper mixed in between. Hopefully quality fish will start to show up in the coming weeks. Started out in 10 fow and caught a keeper right of the bat. That was the only keeper caught for several hours. At about 11am keepers started showing up more steadily but I didn’t want to keep them…. Then it happened I set the hook on something big that stayed down. It took several seconds to get it to come up. First thought a huge gar but then it didn’t fight like gar. Thrashed more like a catfish, than it was on the service. WALTER! A big walleye! I said to fellow angler that I know Wade that was fishing across from me. Well he’s going home with me. Just don’t catch much of them and they taste delicious. At about around noon the clouds broke and the sun started shining. I got on a run in 7-8 fow and started catching keepers. Had like 5 in a flash with one of those being a 2 pound white crappie. I started keeping some fish then to go with the walleye. That sun breaking through on and off seemed to help. I had plans to quit at noon but once the keepers started showing up I stayed at it for a couple more hours to get a little mess plus most importantly I ran out of minnows. I had a fun time and caught a lot. Set up was minnow rigging BnM 16ft BGJP’s with half ounce Capps and Coleman style rig tie that tie up with Pico Lures/Vanguard Tackle. Water clarity was stained, WT was 64-67 and lake elevation was 1114.85. It’s getting down and just a heads up to start tying your boat off at the ramp. It’ll slide right off that mud and float away. A man drowned one winter trying to in go after his one winter when the lake got this low. Be safe, Good fishing Lance Hughey Crappie Guide Service

Last couple of days of September and we are hitting 90’s. It’s looking like I’ll still be cutting grass into late October…. My wife came in the other day saying “This is embarrassing cut the grass!” lol…. Just hate cutting grass Alright the grass has been cut so let’s get a little fishing update…. It’s been a couple weeks since I fished Beaver so wasn’t for sure how things would go. The lake is turning over, we had several inches of rain and cooler temps. It just changes things. Started early morning. Lake elevation was 1115.30. Water clarity was a little stained and WT was around 74. I decided to fish were I’ve been the past few weeks and go from there. Main river flat along the channel. Marked a pretty decent amount of fish throughout the flat. The bite wasn’t fast and furious. But stick with it and cover every inch of the flat you’ll have a pretty decent day. Best bite for me was 10-13 fow and about 8-9 feet deep rigging. The bite was pretty steady. Caught a lot of fish but about mid morning the wind started picking up. I had to pick up my speed to about .6-.7 mph and sometimes 1 mph when the wind pushed me. That seemed to make a big difference with the bite. It improved and the bite got fast. I basically just quit looking at my Livescope and stayed on my headings to catch my fish. Like fellow fishing friend Les Smith stated. “Never seen a bait out run crappie that a crappie didn’t want to eat” Made a big difference once the wind picked up. I had a lot of fun. Setup was BnM 16ft PST’s and Pico Lures/Vanguard Tackle 1oz rigs that I tie up. Few more weeks and I’ll change things around. Good fishing Lance Hughey Crappie Guide Service

On vacation this week and about to head to MS to go fish. Got out started yesterday about 7am. WT was 76-78, lake elevation was 1115.00 and water clarity was slightly stained. Still minnow rigging along main river flats in 11-13 fow and about 9 feet deep. Being overcast they were more spread out and not grouped up in the shade. Also they full and being finicky to bite. There’s a lot of shad as usual right now and makes them not want to commit fully. You catch one be prepared to get slung with poop all over you. lol…. They full of it! Stuck with it and caught a lot. Ended with 13 before needing to head home. Setup was BnM 16ft PST’s, 1oz Pico Lures / Vanguard Terminal Tackled double minnow rigs I tie up. Caught a lot on a 1/16oz chartreuse Pico scope eye jig head and just a minnow as my bottom hook. They liking a little color with that minnow. Kind of like a crappie nibbles. Hopefully have pics to share from MS in a few days. Good Fishing Lance Hughey Crappie Guide Service

Past two weekends. 92 degree WT last Saturday. Caught them rigging along a flat in 15 fow at about 9 feet deep. Yesterday 82 degree WT and caught them rigging along a flat in 11-13 fow at about 9 feet deep. Stay on bluff side or hill side in the shade. They group up better along it. Get as close as you can to a bluff as sun gets over head higher. They want the shade. It’s a grind, just don’t give up on them Good Fishing Lance

Basically same pattern the past two weekends. 15 fow, 9 feet deep. Minnow rigging a main river flat. Lots of shorts with scattered keepers throughout. It’s a grind Good fishing Lance

Few more

It’s been a minute since I’ve got a report out. We had a lot going on the month of July outside of fishing. Basically family time and just wanted to take a break. Since my previous trip I’ve been wanting to fish a different area and get a look at something new. Decided to go fish the other river since it’s been like April that I’ve dumped my boat in it there. Got started about 6am. Figure just pick the first flat, put out, and start searching. Caught one right off the bat in 13 fow. Kept searching the 20-15 fow and started narrowing the depth range down as the morning progressed to 15-12 fow with baits down about 9 feet. Most of all the fish I seen were above 10 feet in the water column. The bite for me continues to be how it’s been all summer. Tons of shorts with a keeper mixed in about every 5 to 8 shorts you catch. It’s fun because you’re catching a lot though. It’s still you’ll either get just under or just over a limit trolling this year. It’s a good mess for a few meals. Lake level 1118.5. Which is much lower than it’s been this time of year in a long time. The CORP really pulled the plug and got it way down this year. If it keeps going like this, we’ll be fishing really shallow this winter. Fingers crossed! Water clarity was a little stained and WT was 85-87. Setup was minnow rigging BnM 16ft PST’s with 1oz rigs I tie up using Pico Lures/Vanguard Terminal Tackle. Felt good to get out and mentally reset. Nothing like it and look forward to the next one. Got a starting point. Pictures below are from trips towards the end of June and my last one a couple days ago Good Fishing Lance Hughey Crappie Guide Service

“How’s fishing?” It’s alright but sure ain’t like previous years…. We working for them…. Each day is unpredictable but will catch a decent mess but not gonna slay them. I’ll be honest with you…. That’s basically how the conversation goes with folks. Fishing continues to be a grind. Catching tons of shorts. Catching so many shorts I’ve been asking for a couple more dozen minnows to my traditional 10 dozen I ask for each trip. By the end of each trip we may have a handful left! Keeping the minnow farms in business around here lol… Keeping size fish are still far between. Scattered out. The good thing though you find one it’s highly likely gonna eat. WT is hovering right at the 80’s. Water clarity is slightly stained. The average depth I’ve been catching fish is 15 fow and about 8-10 feet deep. Started moving out closer the channel along the flats. Fish seem to be relating more to it now with the Corp dumping the lake level. I think someone said 6 inches a day. It seemed to drop almost 2 feet between trips that I had a couple days apart. They gonna suck all the fish out of areas. Lake elevation sets right now at 1121.6 Method is still minnow rigging 16ft BnM PST’s with 1oz rigs I tie up with Vanguard Tackle/Pico Lures. Speed I’m moving is about .5-.6 mph and constantly turning the trolling motor looking for a keeper. Gonna burn up a bearing with how much I’ve had to do that the past couple months. It’s been a fun past couple weeks though. Meeting people from Las Angeles and taking them to experience something they’ve never done to senior citizens that have been married for 67 years. A former professional baseball player and his spirted wife. Folks from all walks of life. Been a fun experience. Thank y’all Like I said it’s unpredictable. Gonna just keep plugging away at it Good fishing Lance

Fishing gets a little sweeter with time. Time on the water, that is…. Said it numbers of time in the past. You can have all those bells and whistles out there on your boat but nothing is more valuable than time. Got started early. Right at dawn. Just love this time of year. WT was 70-74. Water clarity was slightly stained and lake elevation was 1126.3. I dropped the trolling and wasn’t seeing fish in 17-15 fow and immediately went shallower. Just instinct I guess. I said to myself. You know I’ve caught them along this flat in July in 85 degree WT at this depth when the lake level is about where it’s at now. Don’t know why they wouldn’t be there now. So got a little shallower. Caught one right away in 13 fow. Followed by another in 12 fow. Said ok ones a fluke but two is a pattern. Stuck with working a little ways off the bank in 13-11 fow with baits down about 10 feet. Was steadily catching keepers and in between that was dink crappie. I caught so many fish I literally got tired of catching fish. By noon I was out of ammo…. 8 dozen Minnows lol…. Ended with 13 toads and 4 good size Kentucky’s. My uncle Sonny would say where there’s little ones there’s big ones too. There Absolutely was! Basically I went back old school minnow rigging. I never really saw them on scope. Just occasional back of one off the bottom. I only scope 2 good fish the whole day. Felt good Setup still minnow rigging BnM poles 16ft PST’s and 1oz minnow rigs that I tie up using Pico Lures/Vanguard Tackle. This will be the set up I use until October. Busy next several weeks. Hopefully everything will pan out good. Good fishing and God Bless Lance Hughey Crappie Guide Service