Wilson3144

Going to have to adjust my location using the bottom bouncer.... Had lucky with it but wrong kind of fish.... Caught several catfish and big blue gill off the points. I started in 20/22 FOW and moved to around 15. Took my wife and she was having fun and didn't want to hunt for the walleye and we were ran off by a good steady rain 30 minutes before dark. We will have grilled catfish and fresh zucchini for dinner tomorrow at least! I did see several schools of white bass hitting on the surface, but only on top for a minute or so a time and move a lot between each sighting....FYI.

Thanks to all for the info.... Sitting anchored out in front of state park right now hoping my underwater lights draw in something for my wife to catch, while I'm going through my gear putting together different rigs for tomorrow. And it doesn't look like I have enough stuff.... So an early morning trip to bass pro and Hemingways for just the essentials!!!

Going to try to catch a walleye or two tomorrow afternoon on the flats around state park. Have fishing bull shoals almost exclusively for many years for walleye using just a gold Aberdeen hook, split shot with a fat worm on light line and have done well. This year it's up 40 feet or so and can't even get my boat in at my normal spot. I am reading most are fishing with bottom bouncers to catch their fish. I have used the bouncer in the past with little to no success. My question is would the gold hook and slip shot work or should I rig up the bouncer for maximum success? Thanks to all in advance!!!

Taking my wife night fishing tonight. Normally go to mutton creek but hearing good crappie reports on cedar ridge. Is the water up 5 feet still and what depth were the piles, if you don't mind me asking? Wish I could give you some information on trolling motors but have always used the old 46 pound trust motor guide. I can't get approval from the boss(wife) for the nice wireless ones yet.

I had about the same luck last night. 80.4 water temp, 25-27 FOW, bait ball the size of a pick up truck, and only a handful of fish. I know I was on a brush pile because it took me 10 mins to get my anchor unhung when I left. I think the two inches of rain yesterday and the front has them lockjaw right now. Plus the 15 mph wind last night didn't help. I would love to give you a better report but I'm still trying to figure out this type of fishing myself. I got a report of a few good deep brush piles next to the mile long bridge I'm going to try Tuesday though. Do you think the moon phase would affect the crappie under the lights, like it does for bass fishing and deer hunting?

Going night fishing out of mutton creek tonight if the rain stays away and again on Tuesday night with my wife for sure. I am new to night fishing under the lights but had very good success a few weeks ago with my wife. A good map, mdc bush pile locator website and getting there an hour before sundown to mark several brush piles with buoys were the key for me. Marked three piles in about 50 yard triangle and then anchored up right in the middle of it. Set the lights up at dusk (9ish) and started catching fish constantly at ten until she made me leave to pick our kid up at 1. Caught 30 plus with 16 of them being keepers. Would have caught more if I was not attending to the netting, baiting, and measuring my wife's fish. But not complaining, she liked it and keeps asking to go back.

Thanks!

Does anyone have a current water condition report this morning? Thinking about putting in at mutton creek and up to the dam for a few hours but don't want to be fighting a lot of debris or having problems putting in due to high water.

Set up just off a main lake point on the cove side after finding a few brush piles on the screen in 23-24 fow. I used an old styrofoam floating light from the 70's and a new Berkeley 1000 lumen submersible light together set at about 15 feet down. Turned the lights on right at dark and waited an hour or so before the first fish but they hit fairly nicely on minnows between 10 and 1 on small gold hooks and split shots when we had to leave. Fished them suspended between 12-15 fow. White bass hit them like a ton of bricks like always. the crappie were hitting very lite but all the keepers ranged between 11-13 inches

After all those good reports/posts of night fishing in the last few weeks, I went out and got a underwater light and thought I'd try it. Been night fishing for bass since I was a kid but never under lights. Got a babysitter for our five month old and dragged my wife along. Put in at mutton creek and in three hours we caught 30 fish, mix bag of walleye, crappie and white bass. Spend most of the night baiting and netting fish for my wife. It was funny to see the transformation of my wife nervousness of being on the water at night to her keeping count of how many more fish she had than me and reminding me that she was kicking my butt. When we got back to the truck at 0130 am she said it was the best fishing trip she had and loved night fishing. So just wanted to thank everyone that posted night fishing tips! Was a great time!!!!

Fished at greenfield yesterday, just up from Friend Bridge on the south bank. Caught 15 crappie, several small bass and one lonely white bass. Was in 12-15 fow and casting to the bank, with most fish caught halfway back to the boat. Was using a 2" white and chartreuse joker MR CRAPPIE jig and with a very slow retrieve. (Underline Very) all but one fish hit very light, right on the bottom. Tried a few deeper spots below the boat launch with no luck.

Thanks for the info hunter91. Fished virgin bluff to flat creek with several different types of jigs yesterday, but was fishing in 25-30 fow. Only a few small bass and no crappie. Didn't think they would be that shallow yet, but will try it again Tuesday!