Dock-in-it

This morning, I postured my boat on the main lake looking for Zach Birge to make his first stop but did not see stop anywhere in a 2 mile stretch. I watched Alton Jr for a while and he was scoping in a gravel pocket in Kimberling area. Then I travel up the White and see several boats coming out of Big Wolfpen and it just happened to be Drew Gill. It was still the 1st period and he was not using FFS (waiting until 2nd period to use FFS). I followed him from Wolfpen to PT16, then left around 9:30. I watched him hit several spots on the main lake and back in small pockets. Without FFS, he went to only the high percentage locations where a spawner would be. On the main lake he did not fish straight banks, it needed to be a little drain or some minor cut. For coves, he went to the back and did not bother looking anywhere else the cove. One of the pictures is just outside the mouth of Little Wolfpen, where there are plenty of visible trees and big rock bank that transitions into gravel. At the transition is a drain and he stopped there and did not continue on the gravel. In Big Wolfpen, he would have fished the 1st drain on your right where it transitions from big lava rock to more of a slab/gravel combination. I watched a little 2nd period action and with FFS he is on gravel.

Regarding Drew Gill on day 1 scoping period in the CP area. Based on his writeup after day 1, he must have been targeting spawning SM. During the opening period, Gill targeted “object-related smallmouth” with the Big Bite Baits Spotlight Minnow he designed. Doing so required a level of precision that illustrated why Gill is widely regarded as one of the best in the world with forward-facing sonar. “Most of the fish I caught today doing that, I threw three to five casts at to catch,” he explained. “And those have to be in succession. So, you have to be dead-on with your cast, get them hot, and do that three to five times in a row to get them hot enough to catch them.” On the first cast a feeding SM would have followed his bait back to the boat. He just operates on a different level.

I just followed score tracker throughout the day and just watched a few minutes of highlights. I fished Thursday between PT9 and PT16 and caught them OK but it appears Drew fished the same spots/area for part of the day and made a highlight reel.

I watched them practice each morning and I knew there would be guys that had no chance of making the score tracker click routinely enough to stay in the game. This morning I go to a spot looking for the possibility of a post spawn bite over trees.... trying to stay out of the way. Then Justin Lucas shows up, so I stopped fishing and just watched for about 15 minutes as he was trying to catch a shallow fish (I think he is in last place). He leaves and I exit as well. Then I go to a flat gravel pocket and no one is there so I stop and catch 4 using the technique that Bill has discussed. Todd Fairbcloth shows up ( so I stop fishing) and he zeroes in on a spawner for several minutes as the Gill/Wheeler score tracker is clicking away. There is a bunch of shad 75ft from his boat and he never makes a cast. I weighed my fish and I was in about 12th place about half way through the first period. With 30 minutes left in period 3, I am not in last place. Seen Justin Cooper and he is doing very well and he was on a very flat point fishing very shallow.

About 10 of the MLF guys launched at Mill Creek this morning. The windy conditions probably affected their game plan. The guys I seen near me were checking the banks up shallow then they would move out in the cove for a while. I thought they would idle around with the big motor but they wanted to see what FFS would show them. So many species are using the water column, so I think they preferred using FFS instead of sidescan. Some of the guys will write-off areas that showed nothing today..... but over the weekend were loaded with shad. I thought it was best.... not to mention any names. Assuming they can weigh bass weighing at least 1.5#, I weighed a few this morning. 13.25" was 1.30# 14.50" was 1.73# 15.75" was 2.30# So two short 14.50" K's can equal a 3.50# LM

I would lean more towards the 14" mark for a 1.5# spot. The healthy spots have plenty of weight for their body length. The FFS period will probably produce more spots 15 inches or larger because they can see what their throwing at.

Few thoughts for those fishing off the bank. The guys will have to find them each day, the fish are moving and you have to locate new fish everyday. The shad in a location will vanish overnight and the fish are constantly moving the shad while the feeding frenzy is ongoing. Alll the guys will probably use FFS in the first period and they have to find them first. So everyone will not be getting 3 solid productive hrs of FFS. Once they find them they will be able to stay put in the area and rack up some numbers. I am looking forward to see how they catch them after the first period. The main feeding happens early and then slows down. But you can still find the right groups of shad throughout the day. I think some of the guys will fish vertical after the first period. The last time MLF came to the rock, they were a fairly new organization and guys had to tote the the company line. They were weighing 1# fish and someone asked Mark Davis why......and his answer was funny knowing the pressure he was under..... he said Table Rock did not have enough big fish. The number of 2.75 to 3.25 K's will be very high.

Unless you are on the lake today, it would be difficult to comprehend just how many fishermen are on the water. Seems like everyone is rotating through the same obvious 'shallow' spots none stop. With Joe Bass today and HS/College guys practicing ....the lake is a zoo. I scouted/fished out deep this morning and finally found shad on my 6th location. Most of the shad were postured deep in the water column, down about 25-40ft below the surface. When I seen fish down deep bugging the shad, I used a 1/2oz tungsten jig head with 3.3" SB. When closer to the surface I used a 2.8 Keitech with 3/8 head. I was able to catch 6 solid keepers and stay away from the shallow fishermen. The HS/College guys know how (and where) to practice, but with so many rotating through the same stuff I think most of the fish will be educated by tournament day.

I fished this morning and lucked into a very nice LM bite around surface shad using a 3" BPS speed shad with 3/8 jig head with 2/0 hook. This combination is very efficient around surface shad. The speed shad is much more durable than the Keitech and the 3/8 oz jig allows for long cast. The surface activity stretched for 200yds and lasted until 7:45 then the shad disappeared and the fish were no longer grouped up... which made it tough. Had 10 nice LM while the surface activity was going on. Had a few 3# range K's along with several shorts. After the surface activity wrapped up I switched to the 2.8 Keitech because of the confidence factor. The Keitech produced several shorts and 2 fish near the 3# range. Milk run rotation is super important in the winter and early spring. Because a thriving area at daylight can look like a ghost town at 8:AM. WT 57-58

I fished this morning and the fishing was really good around surface shad. The fog hindered my ability to run the big motor until 9AM. I fished yesterday and learned that the underspin is very effective around fish postured beneath surface shad (especially with windy conditions). The shad are approx 1.5" and the blades on the underspin mimic the small shad. So this morning I went prepared with a 2.8 SB and underspin. At 9AM I ran to a spawning location where the recent strong south winds have been blowing into. When I got there the location was loaded with shad and lots of small fish but also some very nice LM were mixed in. The fish were attacking the shad on the surface and plenty of fish cleared the surface..... I left them biting. WT 55

I fished this morning after yesterday's rain and the runoff did have an impact on some areas. The first spot I tried had been producing a good surface shad bite and this location stained up and the thredfin were replaced by lots of gizzard shad. Fish were still in the area but they were not grouped up, which makes them tough to catch (for me). The second spot had also been providing a good surface shad bite and it has a little stain and the shad and fished pretty much vanished. The third spot had not been holding shad/fish prior to the rain, but this morning it had lots of gulls and a few loons and abundant shad/fish. The lake is so busy that I just stayed in this location and was able to catch some on the swimbait. Some of the nice LM are traveling in groups of 2 or 3 (high in the water column) and they will commit to a swimbait really good. They are normally not bugging the surface shad in the area...which does not make sense. They will commit to the SB better than the smaller fish. I am seeing lots of fish on the move in shallow water (<15) and they are normally off the bottom. I tried a jerkbait on some of these fish but no takers unless they are relating to surface shad. There is some species of small fish that bug the heck out of the surface shad and I have not been able to catch these guys (I see this scenario throughout the morning). WT 52

Fished this morning and the bite was steady from 7-10AM. Everything was caught on a swimbait around small pods of shad near the surface. Kept the boat in 25-50 FOW and stayed around spawning areas. Was able to catch numerous LM and some nice K's mixed in. I was around fish all morning and constantly throwing at fish on the move. You can fish shallow (4-10ft) or go for the deeper bite, I have had luck doing both. This morning was so calm the I just stayed out deep. Yesterday morning I fished in 4-10ft and had a limit. WT 46.5 - 47.5

Regarding the MDC statement that some of the spotted bass do not reach 15 inches before the end of their life. This would appear to be a genetics issue or very lazy bass. During the cold weather months I routinely see tons on shad with no bass in sight. I also see bass that do not take full advantage of shad schools within very close proximity. I routinely have fish suspended under the boat in prime feeding window(s) and they appear to care less about feeding. In reality I think this change will have minor impact on the spotted bass, with that said I hope the guides utilize some common sense.

I have not seen any signs of a shad kill going on. The longterm weather forecast looks fairly mild, so the shad will probably have a minor impact from cold water temps.

I fished in the morning on Friday the 13th and finally found some bait/fish in 2 locations. The 1st location was a timbered cove off the main lake that was loaded with big schools of shad. But the fish were not relating to the big schools, the fish preferred small pods of shad fairly close to the surface. I seen fish in 15-70 FOW and utilized a 2.8 Keitech to catch about 3 keepers. This area also had a few loons and gulls. The 2nd location was also a cove off the main lake and had limited shad and some minor pole timber. I had 3 more keepers on a Keitech at this location. The big concentrations of fish seem to be disbursing and you have to search multiple locations. The LM pictured below was within 100ft of hugh schools of shad in 60 FOW, but was caught in 20 FOW just swimming parallel to the bank thru timber. WT 46.5 - 48

Edwin, I think the deep fish are getting smarter each year with the increasing pressure. They are really good at ignoring my swimbait.

With all the cold weather it has been a while since getting on the water. I did not know what to expect this morning but I was pleasantly surprised with what the fish were doing. I started on the main lake in 80ft with trees and limited shad. I found some suspended fish schooled up in 80ft (down about 50ft) but they were near impossible to catch with a vertical presentation. Then I noticed some loons working a stretch of bank with visible trees and the best trees were setting in 20-35ft. So I positioned my boat in 35ft and cast to the trees with a 2.8 Keitech and the fish were postured very near the surface. There were several LM in these trees and I would let the SB drop about 5-10ft down. These fish were postured just right for a jerkbait but I stayed with the SB. For me, the jerkbait is too time consuming --- you have to be extremely careful in unhooking the fish & net, so you waste a lot of valuable time in the short bite window. I did not see fish using the 20-35 FOW range prior to the extened cold snap. With the lake being down at least 6ft, I thought the fish would just stay over deep water. Caught about 10 keeper LM and several nice K's. I was around a lot of fish between 7-8:30AM, then by 9AM it was looking pretty empty. WT 45.3 to 45.6

I have noticed a few patterns the loons do each morning that help me capitalize on their presence. These comments apply to the afternoon as well. Right after daylight they will make a bee-line to where they have found shad before (perhaps the previous day). They will scout the area and either feed up or leave if nothing is there. This area might even be a pre/post spawn area. After feeding, they will vacate the area and leave food on the table for another day. So if you see loons swimming out into the lake, just imagine where they have been (like a pre/post spawn area). Years ago in March I did a post on this forum pertaining to an afternoon trip. I was driving in the middle of the lake to an area and I pass by a spawning cove with 19 loons swimming out into the lake. I put the brakes on and pulled into the cove and noticed 2 loons had shad trapped from the shore to 10ft out. The lake was high and in the bushes, so casting without getting hung up was an issue, but the catching was unreal.

I wanted to fish this morning prior to the extreme winter storm and the fishing was really good. Started on the main lake in about 80 FOW with trees and plenty of shad at daylight. I was surrounded by a dozen loons and plenty of gulls and they kept the bait and fish in hyper mode. As the morning progressed the birds moved out and the groups of shad started to fizzle but the bass were still actively feeding until about 9AM. Throughout the morning several fish would suspend under the boat and you could catch a few, then that group would get educated and start ignoring any presentation. I liked finding suspended groups about 20-40ft from the boat and these fish would react to a Damiki rig fished above their head. Caught most of them on these baits (Damiki, Ice jig, 2.8 Keitech) and the 3/8 Damiki was the best producer. Had numerous LM and plenty of K's. I included a 2D graph picture showing the suspended fish after the shad balls disappear. WT 48.6

I fished this morning and the bass were plentiful and willing to bite. I started out on my 1st location at daylight and it was loaded with shad but I was not seeing many bass. I had about 20 loons approach my boat within 50ft and they all turned around and ignored the shad and went about their way. Then with each passing minute the bass started to appear at all depths and feeding on the shad. (Patience is key) I am catching at a steady pace and as usual the shad balls start to fizzle out but the bass are still feeding on shad I can not see on the graph with the exception of some surface shad. Then the loons return and they decide to go nuts which triggers the bass to capitalize on a feeding opportunity. Location #1 was deep main lake with trees and my boat was normally in 75 FOW and the fish were caught throughout the water column. Location #1 was very good until 9AM and then I headed to location #2 hoping it would produce a few more bites. To my surprise location #2 produced more than 20 keepers. This included a nice limit of SM, LM, and more than 10 keeper K's. Location #2 was a spawning cove with no trees and my boat was mainly in 30 FOW. The fish at this location had not been pressured and could be triggered in to biting real easy. They were feeding on shad near the surface. The best bait was a VMC moon-eye 3/8 jig head with a 3" Damiki Armor Shad. I caught fish on several baits but the Damiki produced about 85% of the catches. From now through March you have to keep all pre/post spawn locations on your check list. I have found multiple winter spots over the years due to bad weather conditions like extreme cold, wind, fog,,,,etc. Extreme weather will cause you to seek safety and comfort. And you would be surprised how the bass do not care what conventional wisdom has to say. WT 51.5

Bill, my FFS skills are just at the basic level. Here is the scenario I was around this morning. I would throw at the surface activity and catch mainly LM with very few K's or SM in the mix. When I first arrived I caught fish postured deep under the trolling motor and they were K's, so I just left them alone and chased the surface activity. Later in the morning I fished deep again and just caught K's. The loons would keep the surface fish and bait moving at a steady pace.

I fished this morning and the bite was steady. I scouted 2 locations that had no bait or fish, then my 3rd spot was loaded. I was around bait, fish, and birds all morning. The LM were under pods of shad at the surface and most of the K's used the entire water column. I targeted the LM and left the K's alone until about 9Am when most of the surface activity started to dwindle. Used a 2.8 SB with a 1/4 and 3/8 tungsten jig head. Some days they respond well to the 1/2 oz with a 2.8 but these fish were not buying it today....the shad were real small. WT 52-53

I fished this morning and wanted to share a deep fishing scenario I routinely encounter throughout the winter. I show up at a location just before 7AM and put the trolling motor down to look for bait and fish. Today I started seeing unlimited bait for a 200 yd stretch and only seen 2 fish. But I know from experience not to leave until I see if the morning light activates the fish in area. I am just about to run out of patience and move to my next spot. Then I see about 10 fish stacked together and put 3 keepers in the boat real quick. Now my attitude is better. In a matter of minutes the 200 yd stretch has fish everywhere. Some are at the surface and others are using the entire water column (I am in 50 FOW). I no longer see any bait schools except small pods just under the surface, but the fish are actively feeding throughout the water column (on bait I can not see). So patience is key in the first 30 minutes of good light especially when bait was present before daylight. After 9AM most of the fish disappeared, so your milk run rotation is key.

I fished this morning and the deep bite was really strong. The 1st location(creek) had lots of fish and I had it to myself for about an hour. Then an extremely good guide (Eric Olliverson) pulled up and I let him know he was welcomed to fish anywhere around me. His consistency on the winter bite is just amazing with clients that have different skills each day. My 2nd location (creek) included several loons and was loaded with fish. The action was non-stop....I left them biting. The best bait was a 1/2oz tungsten queen tackle jig head with a 2.8 Keitech. The ice jig worked as well. All the fish were suspended deep and I encountered numerous large schools. I would throw the 1/2 oz Keitech to large groups (10-15) that were normally 40-50 ft from the boat and suspended down around 40-50 ft. The overall deep was in the 60-80 ft range. The suspended fish wanted the Keitech moving upwards at a 45 degree retrieve. I tried to catch fish postured below pods of surface shad but they would follow and not commit. WT 52-53

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