Dock-in-it

I got out this morning and fished until 8:30 and the swimbait bite was pretty consistent. I used a 2.8 Keitech on different jig heads (1/4, 1/2, and 5/8). The heavier jig heads were used on a baitcaster and helped in making long casts with iced up guides. The LM seemed to prefer the upper water column (10-20ft) and the K's were postured deeper (20-40ft). I had about 8 keepers and just stayed in one area due to the brisk/cold wind. I kept the boat in 30-50 FOW and the area had plenty of trees and the shad were in very small pods throughout the water column. The vertical fish under the trolling motor are pretty tough for me to catch, they seem like they are just enjoying the shade of the boat. You can aggravate some into biting, but I like casting and using the swimbait away from boat. I caught the pictured LM on a 1/4 oz jig with a 2.8 and they were postured high (10-20ft). Did not see another boat!! WT 45.8

I fished this morning and was able to catch some LM and K's on a swimbait and Damiki. I was around fish that were feeding on bait near the surface. The fish were really focused on the bait and most would ignore my presentation. Once you catch a fish within a group the others get educated real quick. The ratio of LM and K's was about 50-50. I would swim/shake the Damiki on a 1/2oz head and it produced better than the swimbait. I kept the boat in 30-60 FOW and there were plenty of trees in the area(s). The WT was in the 46-47 range. There were more boats than I expected...not sure of any tournaments.

I am swimming the 5/8 SB at a very slow retrieve 95% of the time. I will try a vertical presentation when a large group (more than 5) appears deep under the trolling motor. The 5/8 allows you to make long casts and get the bait down quickly to the target. The drop speed really triggers their interest. These winter fish are constantly swimming during their feeding periods. I use FFS to look for the best opportunity for my next cast. #1 a fish that breaks the surface (most days rare) #2 a group of fish closest to the surface #3 the largest group of fish regardless of depth #4 what ever is available...groups are more competitive I use 10# line on a baitcaster and normally use a 5/8 Big Bite baits TRU-X Wally jig (blue ice). It has a 3/0 hook but has a short length. Their 3/0 has the same length as a Gamakatsu 2/0. One picture is Big Bite and Queen tackle 5/8 heads with same length 3/0 hooks. Other picture shows hook length of 3/0 Big Bite and 2/0 Gamakatsu.

I fished this morning and found a real good deep water swimbait bite. After this last cold snap the WT has dropped to 45.8 and the fish still seem to prefer the SB. I kept the boat in 40 to 70 FOW and the bass were steadily moving throughout the entire water column. Fish in the 1-10ft range were fairly easy to catch, but the deeper fish have a mind of their own. Lots of trees in the area but the fish swim right by the trees and keep on moving. I caught a fair amount of LM, but mostly K's and just a few SM. I rountinely had fish on my graph from 7 to 8:30AM then they started to disappear. For me, scouting an area after 8:30 can be very misleading. I looked at two other area's after 9AM and caught a few more keepers but at daylight tomorrow morning these same area's could hold lots of fish. I used a 5/8 jig head with 3" SB 90% of the time and I did catch some on a Damiki rig. These deep fish like to posture underneath the back of the boat so I often throw my SB about 10ft behind the boat and reel it thru the suspended fish (normally about 25-35ft down).

Dewayne, thanks for the report. That strong north wind was to much for me to get out. There is a major algae/slime build up in the Kimberling area that goes out to at least 5-7ft so a crankbait would be a little aggravating. Glad to hear the lower lake is producing.

I fished this morning and was fortunate to find a steady swimbait bite. Caught mostly K's but there were LM and SM mixed in. The first area had plenty of shad in 35-50 FOW and the bass were stacked underneath. The swimbait would trigger bites better than other baits like Damiki, spoon, and ice jig. This area held up until 9AM. The second area probably had shad at daylight but I was able to continue the swimbait bite without any visible shad. I fished this area until 10AM and called it a day. The swimbait setup was a 5/8 jig head and a 3" basspro speed shad swimbait. The 5/8 jig allows you to get the bait down quick, then swim it straight or swim & drop it. You can also jig it up/down under the boat, then slowly swim it straight up (like an ice jig). The 5/8 jig allows you to take advantage of its drop speed to trigger bites. A Keitech would work great but the speed shad is much tougher. The speed shad allows you to spend more time fishing. You can find fish without shad in a lot of area's but they are mainly singles roaming about 30ft down in much deeper water. WT 48.3

I fished this morning and the cold weather really changed where the bass are hanging out. I checked two really good pre-cold snap locations and they were totally void of bait and fish. Then my third location had some fish and salvaged my morning but the numbers at this location were way down from 10 days ago. Not sure about impacts on crappie, but they probably made a few moves. 27 degrees with no wind is my tipping point.

Hey Champ, these days I use FFS but as you know, 2D for deep winter fishing can be very effective. On a real good morning I luck into an area about the size of a football field that is holding hundred(s) of fish, but most mornings I am fishing around much fewer opportunities. About 99% will ignore my bait so FFS allows you to find and manage opportunities much more efficiently than 2D. With 2D, you normally have to be on top of deep fish and they are constantly moving. So you have to start dropping your bait as soon as you see ONE fish and hope others will appear while your bait is still dropping. Where as FFS allows you to see the direction a group of fish are moving and that allows to have your bait in the right place at the right time. A few days after this Jan 2nd report I found a real good deep water swimbait bite where 2D was all you really needed because the fish provided surface activity clues and your depth finder showed their average depth (1-15ft) below the surface. That morning the fish postured deep were super tough to catch but the fish postured in 1-15ft were relatively easy to catch because they were aggressively feeding and breaking the surface to show their location away from the boat. I liked using 2D for deep fishing and when I first started learning FFS I would switch back and forth because 2D was more pleasant for an older set of eyes. I finally got better with FFS and stopped using 2D, but if you took FFS away I would absolutely enjoy my trips with 2D.

The deep bite was really good in December and January is starting on a good note. The weather is about to go into an extreme cold spell so I got this morning while the weather permits. I had several nice LM (about 10) but it was mainly a Kentucky bite. Fast vertical presentations have been key for triggering bites. Too many fish will ignore the bait if they get a good look at it. Some days a swimbait will work for fish postured high in the water column (1-15 ft below surface). The shad are less than 2" so a small bite has worked best. A 1/2 and 7/8 oz spoon, 5/8 and 7/8 oz ice jig, and Damiki style baits. I have been keeping the boat in 35 to 70 FOW. The fish closer to the bottom are easier to catch and the majority of bites come from closely grouped up fish. The deep water fish are moving at a steady pace. You do not need a ton of shad to hold fish in an area. Most mornings the shad are in numerous small pods. Trees are a plus but most fish will be caught in the general area because they are normally moving vs setting up in trees.

Hey Mitch, this morning on Table Rock I tried the new 2.8 version of the Fugitive SB and caught a few fish. I used the SB for about 15 minutes and then the sun popped out and the activity slowed. I had 4 bites on the SB and boated 3. Looking forward to trying it when the water cools down. WT was 86.

Fished this morning and the boaters this weekend left a few still willing to bite. Fished in 20ft around timber and shad. Using swimbait and Damiki. WT 55.5

I fished this morning and the bite was really good. On my first cast I was fortunate to catch a LM in the 6 to 7# range on a swimbait. I kept the boat in 40 to 55 FOW all morning. The LM seemed to used the top of the water column down to 20ft and I caught them casting. I caught plenty of SM and K's fishing a 3/8 Damiki vertical amongst shad and they liked the 30 to 40ft range. There were lots of white bass in the shad and I caught a few approaching the 2# range. The lake was an absolute zoo yesterday and I thought today would be really busy but it was manageable to my surprise. The wind was blowing and made boat control a steady job. The picture of the big LM did not turn out too good because I have tennis elbow and not able to hold up heavy objects with my arm extended.

The FFS hysteria can provide some interesting insight into human behavior. Background: Drew Gill (current BPT Pro) and Dakota Ebare (past BPT Pro). Both guys are young stars and excellent with FFS. Drew Gill was on a podcast and I left a comment how impressed I was with his fishing approach and that the old school guys need to get with the program. In a very short period of time I get a very hateful message from Dakota Ebares mother that I am such a FFS hater. I did not respond to her.....hopefully she will get beyond the hysteria. FFS is educational, efficient, and sometimes effective.