Thompson Fishing Guide Service

Look for rocks and brush piles on the dam in 12-15 feet of water. The blue gill will be there. They are not typically suspended at 12 feet in deeper water. So fish in water that is 12-15 deep with rocks and brush.

October 10, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report One thing I learned a police officer: information is power. Those of you who have been compiling my fishing reports for the last two years possess a far greater knowledge of Stockton Lake than most veteran anglers. I try to give as precise details as I can, so that you as a fisherman will receive the same thrills in fishing that I have all of my life. Walleye: As I stated in last week’s report, walleye are scattered because the bait is scattered. The reason for this phenomenon is what the walleye sports writers call “The Fall Pattern.” I call it the best time of the year to catch the most numbers of big walleye. These fish are thinking that because winter is near, food supplies will dwindle. Therefore, they need to eat all they can now. The most effective approach now is trolling deep diving crank baits. What kind of deep diving crank baits? Basically you have to experiment. One color could be better than the other, but the bottom line is this: if you find the fish, and you cover enough ground, you are going to get bit. My clients have been catching walleye off of main lake points at about 19 feet. It seems 19 feet has been the magic number, at least for now. Focus your attention on main lake points around State Park, Orleans Trail Cove, or Crabtree Cove. We have caught several keeper fish (legal – 22 inches) in these areas trolling small deep diving crank baits. When you scope fish, you can do the jig and minnow or jig and night crawler thing, but we have been having better luck trolling crank baits. As fall progresses, their pattern will change and you’ll need to do something different. When this occurs, you jig and minnow or jig and night crawler will become more effective. Guide’s note: each lake is different. When you read Walleye Insider magazine (which I think is an excellent publication) remember that walleye do not have a p.o. box. Therefore you need to experiment and be versatile in your techniques to catch walleye. By the way, Stockton Lake is the number one walleye lake in the state of Missouri and in the top 10 in the southern United States. Largemouth bass: I had a day off and spent it bass fishing. I caught my biggest bass on Stockton Lake, which was 8 pounds 1 oz. My client’s best fish has been 9 ½ pounds, just so you’ll know. Stockton Lake is a number one walleye lake, therefore most fishermen pursue the walleye. But if you want to catch a big bass, Stockton Lake can stand up to any lake in Missouri. Reference my 8#1oz bass: I named her “Howie” after a defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders. I cannot tell you exactly where I caught the fish, but I can give you some information that will help you anytime on any lake. I caught the fish off an end of a main lake bluff. I caught several keeper fish on previous days in the same location. Guess what I caught the fish on? You have probably guessed it: a 9 inch blue Tom Mann’s jelly worm and the attractant was blueberry. My wife says she would rather I smell like grape or blueberry when I come home from a hard day guiding than garlic rotted shad which lasts for weeks. The best bass fishing for quality fish during the fall pattern for me has been secondary lake points. Crank baits and spinner baits catch a few fish, but worms and jigs are where it’s at. We had a cold front Monday, which caused the fish to slow down somewhat, which obviously means you need to slow down somewhat. Voila! Go to jigs and worms. Crappie: crappie fishing is fair to good providing you fish in the right place with the right bait. As I stated last week, locate brush off secondary lake points (Cedar Ridge area) and use a minnow or minnow/jig combo. Spend about 20-30 minutes in the area and if you don’t get bit, move on. Good place to start is Price Branch or Birch Branch. Blue gill: For you blue gill aficionados: drift around the face of the dam with a small jig and piece of night crawler and you should catch saucer sized blue gill in about 12 feet of water. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

Hey Allen, Whe you want to come out let me know. Let me know what you want to fish for and I'll stalk them for you. Marty

Caught on a plastic worm off of a main lake point in about 15 feet of water.

Had a good day fishing yesterday. Here's what I caught. Anyone want to go bass fishing? 8# 1oz

October 3, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye: Up until 3 days ago, walleye fishing has been fair to good, but it slowed down as a result of two recent storm systems that have passed through our area creating cold fronts, which means the fishing slows down for 2 or 3 days. I expect the rest of the week (from Thursday on) to get productive again. Early in the morning and late in the day the walleye will be in the brush line in about 7 feet of water. The best approach is to fan cast Rattle Traps or small bass lures towards the shore. Instead of staying out where you make a long cast, get closer to the brush line and cast ahead of the boat; your plug will be in the strike zone longer. If you have a buddy in the back of the boat, just stay out a little bit farther and you can both parallel fish the brush line. Fish are being caught off the flats just north of Mutton Creek. Troll deep diving crank baits in whatever depth you find the fish. If you like to troll, try doing this for 8 or 10 hours. The effectiveness of trolling for walleye is basically this: walleye are a more open water fish and they move more than any other fish in the lake. Walleye have habits similar to stripers. Catch fish here today, but tomorrow a nuclear explosion would not show one fish, so you have to stay on the move. This is even more true this time of the year because the shad are scattered all over the lake, so your walleye are apt to be anywhere. Two weeks ago I reported that I was catching fish on the jig/minnow jig/night crawler combos, and this is true providing you find the fish. This method is too slow to be used as a search vehicle. Kentucky spotted bass: I’d like to include this section in my fishing report because the experience I have had this week with bass have been KY spotted bass, therefore there will be no largemouth report. Just so you know. One afternoon in about 2 hours I had 2 clients catch and release 33 KY spotted bass. Believe it or not, 10 of those fish were 15 inches and 3 of them weighed right at 3 pounds each. We caught them in one particular location, but I can’t disclose the exact place because of that client/guide thing. We caught the majority of the fish on 6 inch plastic worms…color didn’t mean a thing. The worms I was using were 6 inch Mann jelly worms, grape flavored. I am more into those fruity scents than that stuff that makes you smell like something your cat drug in. We tried jigs, and had a little action, but the Texas rigged worm is what they were really after. It is interesting to note these fish would start busting shad on the surface and you could throw any top water lure at them that you wanted and never get a bite. Not sure the reason for this…maybe Bill Dance knows. Then I take a plastic worm and throw in the froth left by the feeding bass and more times than not they’d grab it before the splash was over. The fish were off of a main lake point and I scoped them in about 30 feet of water, but they would not bite until the little buggers moved to a nearby underwater ledge that was 17 feet deep. I walleye fish these areas, so I kind of got familiar with the bass activities through my many passes with my sonar. They made this transition several times throughout the day. Crappie: The best crappie fishing at this time has been fishing brush piles in 15-20 feet of water off of secondary lake points. Modus operandi: medium minnows on a ¼ oz jig head. This has been effective for my clients in that you can better position your bait inches above the brush pile, providing of course you are in a boat and there is not 40 mph wind like there was Tuesday. The second approach is to fish the brushy shore line adjacent to these secondary points by casting smaller jigs or Road Runner type lures towards the shore. Like walleye, these crappie will move shallower early morning or particularly late afternoon to the brush line in about 7 feet of water. Rooster Tails will work and so will Panther Martin in line spinners. Be aware, though, that you will catch A LOT of 5 inch bass. If they become too pesky, try to find an area with less brush. The crappie should be there, but these little bass congregate in the thickest, brushiest areas they can for protection. Because the water levels stayed so high so long during and beyond the spawning season, not only was there excellent nesting available, but also equally important, a nursery system was supported, where the little guys (bass, crappie, walleye) can reach an age when they can fend for themselves and need less protection. By 2010, Stockton Lake should reap huge benefits from this year’s production season. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

September 11, 2007 Stockton lake Fishing Report Lake level: 870.58 Water temperature: 79-80 Largemouth Bass: Bass fishing has been good for the last week up until today. The cold front that came in yesterday was followed by a cloudless sky, which slowed the fishing down somewhat. I was still able to catch fish today and I’ll tell you how I did it. The fish were in the same place as yesterday, which was a good day because of overcast sky and cooling water temperatures. I marked fish consistently on my sonar, I backed off and I used a deep diving crank bait. No takers. I fished the same area again with a black spinner bait and a willow leaf blade…caught one keeper fish. Then I went through the same area with a plastic worm and caught five fish. What have we learned from this weed hopper? When you have a cold front, it affects the barometric pressure, which in turn affects the fish. The fish slow down and therefore the obvious bait to resort to is a plastic worm or jig. I favor the worm. People ask me questions about color; you have 5 basic colors. Purple, blue, black, green, and red. This applies to plastic worms as well as jigs and crank baits. However, if you are into the colors that the “pros” use, try the following colors: blueberry muffin, red revenge, west end, green marble, southern delight, blue shadow grass, and Florida 5-0, to name just a few. In other words, color is not that critical. The top water bite has been off and on; I always carry a rod rigged with a top water bait because you’ll see fish break the top from time to time while they are chasing shad. Be ready. Try fishing the bluffs in the main lake. Here again you will have to experiment, but basically bass fishing is good anywhere you want to go. Walleye: like bass, walleye have slowed down just a little bit because of the cold front, but I expect to put my clients on fish for the rest of the week. Your main lake points are the best bet for consistency, and we have been using jigs with night crawlers or crawler harnesses with a bottom bouncer. Crank baits have been working pretty well later in the day in shallower water (5-10 feet). My theory for this is that at that depth, flooded brush ends (this is what is referred to as the weed line) or in our case, the brush line. Now that the water is stained, these walleye utilize shallow brush more than they normally would. Small bass crank baits work well for these walleye. If they are in these areas, they will hit about whatever you throw. If you don’t catch fish late in the afternoon, don’t reach for your secret high dollar guaranteed to catch walleye crank bait, you just need to move. Back off in a little deeper water (10-20 feet). Crappie: crappie fishing should be good for the rest of the week. Before the cold front, crappie were being caught in around 15 feet of water by slow drifting crappie jigs or minnows off secondary lake points. If the point has brush, that’s the one you need to fish. If you are not familiar with the lake, it’s better to spend a little time on your sonar than to drift around in vacant water. Or better yet, contact a highly skilled professional fishing guide like me. Crappie in the timber has also picked up. Price Branch along with the Turkey Creek arm is producing decent sized catches in about 15 feet of water with crappie jigs or jigs and minnows. Guide’s tip of the week: Slow down and watch for timber that may be floating in the lake. Most of it has settled down, but no matter where you fish you should always be cognizant of what may lie ahead just inches under the surface. Timber isn't the only thing you need to look out for. Giant bales of hay...not the little square ones, the big round ones. I wonder what they weigh full of water? Because of the excessive flooding, one farmer lost 40 head of cattle (hadn't found any of them floating in the lake yet), and several have lost fields of rolled hay and some of them are in the lake. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

Lake level is 870.75. Normal pool is 867. Err on the side of safety. Slow down and just watch for timber that may be floating in the lake. Most of it has settled down, but no matter where you fish you should always be cognizant of what may lie ahead just inches under the surface. Timber isn't the only thing you need to look out for. Giant bales of hay...not the litte square ones, the big round ones. I wonder what they weigh full of water? Because of the excessive flooding, one farmer lost 40 head of cattle (hadn't found any of them floating in the lake yet), and several have lost fields of rolled hay. And some of them are in the lake. I bet Bill Dance ain't never fished a hay bale! I went yesterday and caught 8 bass. Lost a couple of others, and plan to go when I am done writing you this email. In my experience, the rising and falling of the lake level has not affected the fish negatively at all. The reason people say it does is because for the most part, as the water goes up and down, the fish will move. Not necessarily that they won't bite. Crappie have picked up quite a bit and so have the walleye. And of course the bass fishing has been good all summer long for me. So I hope this answers your question reference golf. You can leave your fuzzy socks with the balls on the back of them in the drawer, grab your walleye rod, and CALL ME!

I'll have to get after my secretary for neglecting to post it in a timely fashion. Oh wait, my secretary is my wife...

If I understand your question, here's something you need to consider: the lake has been going down a whole lot more than up due to the fact that the Army Corps of Engineers is trying to maintain a normal pool, which is 867. When that happens, the bass will pull back into a little bit deeper water. Your flipping and pitching will be better when the water is going up. The vast majority of the bass that I have caught this summer have come off of main lake points or secondary points. The crank bait bite and spinner bait bite have been fair at best, and my theory for that is the lake is full of bait and these fish usually will regurgitate bait, meaning you need to show them something different than the shad. Plastic worms has been my mainstay and jigs are #2. When you see bass busting the top chasing shad, and they won't hit a top water, throw a plastic worm at them. If most of your strikes are right at the boat, you might be fishing too close to the fish. Sometimes they position themselves a little farther out than what you think. Give that a try and let me know. I have had the same thing happen from time to time this summer. I had a big small mouth that almost jerked my rod in the lake as a result. I was fishing for white bass with some clients in 60 feet of water and the bass grabbed the jig as I was getting ready to lift it out of the water. If this doesn't answer your question, let me know. Marty

September 5, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye fishing has been good over the last week, and I am thankful for that because when my clients catch fish, they think I am the greatest thing since the invention of Stink Bait. One key spot that walleye have been turning up is the flats across from Mutton Creek. Slow troll deep diving crank baits, like Wiggle Warts, which is an effective tool in catching fish. Late afternoon or early evening is a good time. Shad colors work the best. Criss cross the flats until you have scoped the fish. They may be in 15 feet today and 35 feet tomorrow. If trolling crank baits doesn’t produce fish, try crawler harnesses. Main lake points around State Park boat ramp are also good places to go. Use the same technique as on the flats, or try bottom bouncing jig and minnow or jig and night crawler. As we see more cool weather, the fishing will continue to get better for the next two months at least. Largemouth bass: Fish the bluffs with a jig or plastic worm. Let the bait fall vertically along the face of the bluff. Some days you’ll get bit at no deeper than 5 feet, and some days it will be 15 or 20 feet, depending on environmental conditions. When you catch fish in the 5 foot range, they’ll hit top water. I use a clear, plastic Devil Horse, because the blades sound like bass feeding on shad. Many times when a bass is drawn to a top water bait, it is because of competition. Buzz baits will work also, but you will get more bites when you are able to stop and start the bait. I’d like to give you more information, but because of my confidential client/guide relationship (we in the profession call it CCG), I cannot. Overall, bass fishing has been excellent. Main lake points, usual techniques, and a little patience, and you will catch fish. One thing I will tell you, though: fishing is better off of the rocky points than in the timber. My theory for this is that there is so much cover, the fish don’t seem to gravitate to specific areas. Crappie: I haven’t been crappie fishing, therefore I am not able to give you any accurate information. Blue Gill: I had a client recently who wanted to go blue gill fishing. Stockton Lake as you know not only holds the Missouri State Record Smallmouth Bass, but also the state record Green Sunfish. We vertical fished several main lake bluffs; we were fishing in approximately 15 feet of water and caught dozens of coffee cup saucer sized blue gill. It was a blast. Here’s our mode of attack: small crappie jigs or Road Runner jigs tipped with a small piece of night crawler (red worms would be better if you can find them). If the bait is too big, they will pull it off. That’s a critical point. Try crickets on a small cricket Aberdeen hook. You need to book your fall trips now. We have a few days left in September, and some in October. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

August 29, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye: We are finally back to business and we have been catching a few walleye off of main lake points around Masters Cove area and Crabtree Cove. The water has cooled off because of the large amount of rain a week or so ago. The lake rose over 4 feet in 2 days. After it stabilized, the fishing got better. Currently, the lake level is 871.77. Along with the rising level came a lot of timber in the lake, so watch out for that. With a full moon this week, late afternoon and early evening til about 10:00 pm are your best bets. Deep diving crank baits either cast to the shore or trolled have caught fish. Shad imitators seem to work the best. Another technique that has been successful has been slow drifting a jig and large minnow across the points at the depth you see the fish. Spend a little time with your sonar, but forget about the old adage “Find the bait, find the fish” because the bait is everywhere. Structure is what you want to look for to locate the fish in a situation like this, and that structure is main lake points that lead to the river channel. Largemouth bass: Top water has picked up quite a bit since my last report. Try a Buzz Bait (or any top water bait for that matter) and cast it over submerged brush off main lake points. Late in the evening seems to be the best time. The backs of coves are holding fish and Jig n Pig or plastic worms are good to work these areas. Or if you do the flipping and pitching thing, dark colored creature baits with a pegged weight will also catch fish. Bass fishing has been good up the Sac River arm and the Son’s Creek arm by fishing the timber with large spinner baits and large crank baits. The reason I say large is because the water is off colored in these creek arms due to the rain, therefore a larger lure is easier for the fish to locate. Fish are being caught deeper off of main lake points dragging worms or jigs; color doesn’t seem to matter. I caught 5 fish on 5 different colored worms in one hour. Crappie: with the full moon coming up early, your best bet for good crappie action is from 6:00 p.m. on. Secondary points with brush that connect to deep creek channels (30-35 feet) are a good place to start. With no wind, you should be able to sit right on top of the fish with your crappie light and not have to worry about an anchor. Jig and minnow seems to be the easiest and most effective bait to use for crappie in deep water, but any standard crappie rig with an Aberdeen hook will work. Medium size minnows will produce bigger fish than your small crappie minnows. Any timbered cove on the lake, such as Maze Creek, Turkey Creek, will produce crappie. Fish the deepest timber (25-35 feet deep) next to a creek channel or sharp break using the above technique. White bass have started to show some top water action throughout the lake and fish are being caught on Zara Spooks, Chuggers, or PopRs, to name a few. The majority of these fish have been bigger class (2-3 lb). Troll the main lake points with Road Runners, small spoons, such as pepper spoons, Cast Masters, etc. or in line spinners and you should have fair white bass action. Here again, the best time for top water white bass action is right before dark. Channel cats have really been turning on right at sundown. The best places to start anywhere in the lake are the points in your larger lake coves such as Miller Cove, Orleans Trail Cove, or Mutton Creek cove. I try to find structure about 20 feet deep and with no wind, I can vertical fish holding my gob of night crawlers about a foot from the bottom. A 7 or 8 pound fish is not uncommon. Stockton Lake is an excellent channel cat lake and they are generally not hard to find no matter where you fish. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

August 15, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report If you like poached walleye, bass, crappie and catfish, this is the week for you. For the safety and well being of myself and my clients, I try not to fish during this heat. I suggest you take a break also. Fall fishing is right around the corner, so you need to book your trips soon. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

Thanks for your energy and for reading my fishing report. I try to be as honest as I can be...I can't tell you exactly where to go because I am sure a whole lot of people are reading this response, but cruise the main lake points around the dam with your sonar and you should find crappie in around 25-30 feet of water.

Tired of the SLIME and mineral deposits on your boat? Tired of paying megabucks for juice to clean it off? Use white vinegar. You don't have to worry about your gelcoat and it takes everything off. Here's a bonus tip for keeping your bait (or your catch) alive: use salt. I was having a financial hemorrhage over buying minnows constantly and watching them grow the white fur. Then I saw an article abut salt. Use 1 cup of salt to 10 gallons of water...not sure of all of the biology behind it, but it works. They live and they have no white fur. Iodized salt works, but I have been told non-iodized is better (plus your wife won't squeak at you for emptying the house of table salt). I bought all of the expensive stuff at BassPro, but none of it has worked. Try this. Put it in your livewell in bass tournaments and it will keep your fish alive. Marty Thompson

August 8, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report The majority of my guided trips have been late afternoon til around midnight. This includes all species that I guide for (walleye, bass, white bass, crappie, catfish). Not only is the fishing better for the fish at this time, it is also better for the fisherman. The past few days with the heat index of 105 or more, has been somewhat trying for the fisherman. Therefore, the information given in this report will center around the hours that I have stated above. Walleye: a few walleye are being caught around the dam by bottom bouncing jig and minnow combinations and also crawler harnesses. The fish spend most of their time around the thermocline (which is approximately 22 feet deep) following the shad. Slow trolling is the best way to locate these fish because of their continuous movement. About sundown, troll crank baits or crawler harnesses across the main lake points that lead to the river channel. This not only includes the area around the dam, but any main points on the lake that have this feature. We have caught several walleye on what is called the flats, just north of the Mutton Creek marina. Fish will come up more shallow as the sun goes down, and can be caught by throwing white or chartreuse jigs or Cast Master type spoons. When the sun goes down, you should be able to troll across these flats with minnow type crank baits or shad imitators like Shad Raps. The majority of the fish should be legal (15” and up). The key bit of advice that I can give you now is cover a lot of water and keep your eye on your electronics. And bring mosquito repellent…those little buggers are everywhere. Crappie: Take your night light, tie to a bridge pillar (one closest to the shore) or anchor next to a crappie bed and you should catch fish. Minnows either under a slip bobber or fished vertically is the presentation. You can find fish off of secondary point brush piles; this is where your bigger fish will be caught. There is very little wind after dark, therefore boat positioning is not a problem. Birch Branch is producing fish, as well as Price Branch and the Turkey Creek arm of the lake in the timber. Largemouth Bass: Spinner baits, jigs or worms are the most consistent along the bluffs. Keep a top water bait tied on, because for the last week, every evening, the largemouth have been hitting the shad, particularly off of the points that connect to these bluffs. Top water bite has not been great, but my clients have caught fish off of clear top water lures such as Zara Spooks, Torpedoes or Devil Horse type baits. Less color seems to be more attractive to the fish…make as much commotion as you can. Not only do these baits simulate the shad, but they also simulate feeding bass. It appears this technique works well because if bass feel that other bass are feeding, they will be more stimulated to do the same. So much bait means you have to do something out of the ordinary to get their attention. The majority of your strikes will come when your bait is sitting still after a lot of commotion. Crank bait bite has been hit and miss, and I think the reason for this is there is so much bait the fish are not willing to chase down a fast moving crank bait. Numbers of fish can be caught from 5-10 feet deep along the brushy shores and the bigger fish are a little deeper (around the 20 foot mark) off of main lake points. Your jigs will work well here, as well as the old reliable plastic worms. If you fish after dark, bigger is better, particularly with your worms. A 12 inch worm is not too big. In most situations, the fish locates the bait with his lateral line and vision is utilized only at the last instant. For example, I use Colorado blade spinner baits after dark because they put off more vibration than the slender willow leaf blades. Actually, bass fishing has been quite good for the last two weeks. Blue gill: Any brushy cove that has deep water (30-35 feet) will produce big blue gill. Night crawlers, red worms, or crickets fished under a bobber in around 10-12 feet of water will catch blue gill. Chicken Rock is a good place to start, along with the coves around the Twin Bridges. White bass have been slow, but the fish that are caught will be deep off main lake points by trolling small deep diving crank baits. Channel cats: Hawker Cove, Old State Park, Crabtree Cove are just a few places channel cat action has been hot. A variety of baits work well…anything from chicken hot dogs to night crawlers. For those of you who don’t know what a chicken hot dog is, it is a cheap wienie made with chicken meat and all of the leftovers from any other kind of “meat” they add. The fish like the chicken hot dogs better than the expensive beef hot dogs. Beef hot dogs are wienies made with beef, not chicken. Evidently there has been some confusion about this. When we refer to a hot dog, we are actually speaking of only the wienie component. Another bit of information: chop the wienie in ½ inch sections. Don’t use the whole wienie. And PLEASE don’t use the bun with relish, onions and mustard because it all slings off when you try to cast. And besides, we don’t want fish with bad breath. That is not environmentally sound and I don’t need Al Gore down here giving me a lecture. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

August 1, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Lake level: 871.71 Walleye are deep and wide. As I have been saying during my recent summer fishing reports, the walleye are following the shad continuously. As you notice when you motor across the lake at slow speed in the late afternoon, early evening, you will see BILLIONS of shad, therefore, the walleye could be about anywhere. Here’s your best plan of attack: from about 6 pm til midnight, I would fish the main lake points above the 215 bridge. Slow troll minnow type crank baits, preferably with a clip on weight system which eliminates the tremendous drag of your deep divers. I would troll across the main lake points and along the face of the bluffs. Fish are being caught during the day from time to time, but I recommend the later evening due to the fact that it is cooler and you’ll have a better bite. Use sunscreen and drink gallons of Gatorade; we learned that in survival guide school. Jigs and minnows will also work in these same areas, and I try to slow troll or slow drift with the wind, when possible. Largemouth bass: Spend some time on the main lake bluffs with crawdad colored jigs, plastic worms (color no big factor), or drop shot with French fry type plastic worms. Bass are ambush predators and they hang around the bluffs waiting for the ever passing shad. Top water bite is still hit and miss. The bass seem to have drawn back from cover for the most part, due to the fact that the lake has been going down slowly. Your bigger fish will still be in deeper water (20-25 feet) with main lake points being another option. Find points with good structure or wood in that depth range and you should catch quality fish. Plastic worms and jigs are still the best for your bigger fish (scientific fact, ask Bill Dance). Night fishing is also a good option (late afternoon til midnight is a good time). The fish will move up shallow right at dark and after dark and can be caught on fat bodied crank baits like Bagley Bees and Big Os. Bluegill and shad colors work best. Crappie fishing slowed down somewhat from the last couple of weeks. My theory is that the combination of hot weather and the enormous amount of bait available has to affect the fish. It is kind of like free pizza delivery at your house every five minutes; you don’t stress much over the next meal. I have seen very little material on this subject of bait population in relation to fishing quality. If you have any information, let me know. However, it does appear that the crappie respond better to smaller offerings at this time. Small minnows on small crappie jigs or just minnows on an Aberdeen hook seem to work the best. The crappie are going to be deep (20-25 feet deep, maybe deeper) and your best bet would be to go after dark and fish over a crappie light. Try your favorite brush pile at this depth, which should produce mostly black crappie and your main lake points over deep structure which will produce a majority of white crappie. Stockton Lake has these two varieties of crappie (black and white) and sometimes their habitats overlap, but your white crappie (which are a little bit bigger) relate more to deep structure such as rocks, humps, drop-offs than black crappie which will be a little more shallow in cover. White bass fishing has been slow all summer. I have not witnessed the vicious top water attacks which lasted up to half an hour last summer. Your best bet to catch white bass is to slow troll weighted small crank baits or in line spinners at around 30-35 feet deep. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

July 25, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Lake level 873.15 Walleye: To catch walleye, you have to find walleye. As previously stated, in highland reservoirs in the south, walleye follow the bait schools throughout the lake. Here today, gone tomorrow type thing. Late afternoon or early evening, I have been trolling minnow type baits such as the Lucky Craft Pointer, or Cotton Cordell Riplin Redfin, or similar baits. Start your quest off of main lake points that connect to the main river channel. The best points are the points with rocks about 25-30 feet deep. Walleye will hold on these points waiting for shad schools to come by. When you locate these points, you can continue to troll the crank baits or slow drift a jig and minnow or jig and leech combination through the rocks. With the moon on the upswing, the next several days should be good night fishing. Stake out your claim before it gets dark and you’ll save valuable fishing time. You can try these same techniques on what is called the flats located across from Mutton Creek boat ramp. The fish will move up and down, so they’ll be at whatever depth they’re at at the time. You have to find them. Guide tip: in a recent In Fisherman magazine, I discovered that there is a website that deals with virtually every fish on earth. You can either hear the clicks, clunks and squeaks of the American Eel or the thumps and rocks of Gizzard Shad. To be a better fisherman, it is obvious that you should understand the basic habits of the bait. www.fishbase.org Crappie are still somewhat good throughout Stockton Lake, for white crappie and black crappie. There are more black crappie in the timber, and more white crappie in open water. For larger crappie, I have been dragging a jig and minnow for months now in deep creek channels (25-35 feet deep). Seems like the bite picks up later in the afternoon or early evening. With the upcoming moon phases, you might want to try fishing after dark over a crappie light. Like with the walleye, locate the fish before it gets dark. With no wind, you should be able to set virtually on top of the fish with your crappie light. Small crappie jigs with minnows, crappie niblets, or minnows on Aberdeen hooks seem to work the best. Warning about the crappie niblets: it’ll take you about 3 months to get the glitter off of your hands, or any other body part it comes in contact with. Largemouth bass: I have been catching most of my quality fish (2-4 pounds) in about 18-20 feet of water on the greatest bass fishing lure known to man, the plastic worm. It seems like fishermen are inventing a new presentation called dead sticking. Little do they know this was one of the most used presentations of the 70s. We just didn’t call it dead sticking. Nevertheless, let the worm sit for up to 10-12 seconds and then move it a couple of feet. All the time you’ll feel the bottom and then you’ll feel the drop off. When Mr. Bass grabs your worm, the sensation will be far different than that produced by bass caught in cover and structure. I lean into the worm when I feel the bite, give the fish a second or two, or a little longer on bigger worms (9-12 inches) and set the hook. To me, this is bass fishing because you make the bait a living morsel that Mr. Bass will go wild over. Anybody with one eye and half a brain can catch a fish on a crank bait, but only the true masters can catch the great ninja of the deep on plastic worms. Don’t let him run too far though, for 2 reasons: 1) he’ll get wrapped around the brush 2) he’ll swallow the hook too deep and dragging him in by the throat will probably kill him. Top water is still hit and miss, you need to experiment. I carry a rod loaded with a top water lure (BuzzBait , ScumFrog or Chugger type); the frog is real good in thick cover. For numbers of fish (around legal) use spinner baits or medium to shallow running crank baits, get on the trolling motor and pretend you’re a big time bass pro and go wild. Cover a lot of water. Main lake and secondary points are good, along with bluffs. Jigs are good in these locations and we have caught some large smallmouth (up to 4 ½ pounds on crawdad color). Channel cats: try the CC boat ramp area for channel cats. Slow drift night crawlers, chicken liver, etc. Across the flats, by the CC bridge is a good spot. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

July 18, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Lake Level: 874.35 As of late, the majority of my fishing has been from late afternoon til dark, so this report should be considered applicable to those times. Walleye: Stockton Lake has fluctuated anywhere from a few inches to 3 feet in a few hours, and I think that has affected the fishing somewhat. The walleye bites that I have been involved in have come off of main lake points with a noticeable rock pile. These fish seem to stage around the rock pile to ambush the massive schools of shad that are in this lake. A bottom bouncer rig tipped with a minnow slow drifted over these rock piles have been my number one choice in the last few days. Slow trolled deep diving crank baits also have been working right around dark. If you are going to fish during the heat of the day, you’ll find the walleye at around 30 feet deep as they follow the shad aimlessly throughout the lake. You could catch a limit of fish along the dam one day and the next day they’ll be gone. So spend a little time with your sonar and you’ll save a lot of fishing time. After dark, slow trolled deep diving crank baits or fan cast the shore and you should catch fish in around 8-10 feet of water. Largemouth bass: Top water bite is still hit and miss, but I have had a couple of clients who have caught fish on Scum Frogs. Crawdad colored jigs have been working well off the same main lake points that the walleye have been hanging out in…you are looking at 20-25 feet of water sometimes. Like top water, the crank bait bite has been an off and on deal too, but the fish that we have taken on crank baits prefer medium running shad colored crank baits. Same with spinner baits as far as hit and miss is concerned, but I have caught a few nice legal fish slow rolling it through the brush just under the surface. Willow leaf blades fit the purpose the best, because they slide through the brush. I have not been using a trailer hook. For the time you spend getting unhung, you could probably make an extra 150 casts a day. Crappie: If you want to have a real hot crappie bite, between sundown and midnight is your best opportunity. I use a submergible crappie light to draw in the bait which bring in the crappie. Stake out some brush piles off secondary points; if there’s no wind, you should be able to stay on top of your spot with no problem. Or tie up to a stump or bridge pillar. Medium sized minnows on an Aberdeen hook have been the best bait, however crappie jigs should work well also. Your minnows are a guarantee…why mess around with anything else? Channel cat fishing has been real good up the Sac River and the Son’s Creek arms of the lake. Night crawlers have been good, along with your other classic baits that we mention here every week. Because the lake is way high in the brush, bank access is still limited. One place you could go and take your kid, though, is the floating dock next to the swim beach off Ruark Bluff or the floating dock by Cedar Ridge. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

July 11, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye: During the summer months, the walleye will move continuously following the shad. They may bite like crazy one day at the dam, and the next day you won’t be able to find a fish with a stick of dynamite. I have been catching walleye by trolling deep diving crank baits approximately 1.5 mph off the main lake points. Shad colored deep diving cranks seem to be your best color, and you’ll need to fish them around 12-15 feet deep. Jigs and minnows have also been productive when you find the fish; bounce the ¼- ½ oz jig head tipped with a minnow off the bottom. When the fish move from that location, troll the crank bait until you find them again. Repeat as necessary. The best area that I can tell you to start your quest is off any main lake point; remember one thing: the fish move a lot so you’ll have to move a lot. Largemouth bass have picked up a little since the weekend of the 31st when the lake rose 3 feet and cooled 8 degrees in a two day period. Here’s a fact that I have learned on Stockton Lake: consistent weather, whatever it is, will result in consistent bites. A change in weather seems to blow these fishes’ minds, whether they are smallmouth bass or walleye and they’ll shut down on you. 3 days of consistent weather is idea for getting consistent bites on Stockton Lake. Crank bait fishermen have been catching some legal fish by fan casting the shore in 8-10 feet of water. Crank bait colors include crawdad, or shad imitators. A few fish are being caught on top water, but that is what we call “slow” in fishing guide school. Jigs and plastic worms have been catching bigger fish off of main lake points (20-30 feet deep). Spinner baits are hit and miss. Crappie fishing is still good. My big fish are being caught in deeper water (as usual)…20+ feet. Look for secondary points with brush or structure. Deep diving crank baits trolled across these areas have been producing fish as well as a minnow and jig combination. Night fishing under a crappie light is a good bet around Cedar Ridge. White bass fishing for me has been best after dark. The fish have been caught from time to time during the daylight hours, but after dark is better. Cedar Ridge is the place to go; these fish can either be caught under a crappie light or slow trolling Rattle Traps across main lake points. Cat fishing is really good just about anywhere you choose to go if you are looking for channel cats. Because the lake is approximately 10 feet high, a boat is about your only option because the only accessible banks are those around the boat ramps. The backs of main lake coves are good places to fish for channel cats after dark. If you have running water in the back of the cove, that is even better. Anchor in deeper water (15 feet or so) and cast your bait towards the bank in about 5 feet of water; when the sun goes down, these channel cats come up into the shallows to feed. Any assortment of baits (chicken wienies to night crawlers) will work if you can find the fish. Try slow drifting the flats (across the lake from Mutton Creek) and you’ll catch fish. Drift in about 15 feet of water and try not to stomp too many times on the bottom of the boat. Follow this procedure and your wife will be frying you catfish and hushpuppies for your next dinner. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

OK, just making sure. I figure if I have to pay for commercial guide insurance, then anyone else who guides needs to pay for it too. That's good that you caught a bunch of fish with those folks and even better that they showed a little class. It's hard work, huh?

No, there are not hybrids in Stockton, but there are plenty of 3 lb white bass.

Speaking of C notes....that's what your insurance company will want for your commercial guide insurance! By the way, I was contacted by the Army Corps of Engineers the other day at the ramp who requested to see my certificate for commercial guide insurance. Which insurance company do you go with?

June 27, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye fishing has been excellent on Stockton Lake, particularly if you know where to go and have an experienced guide to lead you. I can give you a bit of information without overstepping my bounds with my clients, who pay for information. Tactics: 1) deep trolling with down riggers or a weight system on deep diving crank baits (Husky Jerks, deep diving Wiggle Warts, or Rapala DT deep divers) fished where you mark the fish (which have been 30-35 feet deep depending on water clarity and sunshine) will produce action. 2) the old reliable crawler harness on a bottom bouncer rig, fished very slowly off of main lake points has also been productive. Normally this time of year the walleye fishing has slowed down, but this last couple of weeks it has really picked up for my clients. Night fishing is even better when you have an early, bright moon up until about midnight. The same techniques used during the day will also work at night. After dark, try fan casting along the shore line with minnow type crank baits either black and silver or black and gold and you'll catch fish. Large mouth bass: for sublegal and barely legal bass (which provide a lot of action), fan cast the shore with shallow running crank baits such as the Lucky Craft BDS1, the Bomber Square A, Norman FatBoy, etc. Spinner baits will also work. I have also been catching fish on the floating worm technique, which is really a blast because you can see the bass come out of the flooded brush and attack. For your bigger fish (3-7 pounds), I use Texas rigged worms or jigs in 25-35 feet of water. Dark colors like blue seem to work the best, due to the fact that blue can be seen better in the water column than any other color. The less visible color is of course red, so you bleeding bait enthusiasts and red hook warriors have been caught before your bass have been caught. Always remember, think outside of the box. I have learned more from old time fishing and hunting guides than all of the myriad magazine articles and videotapes combined. Not to say that these are not good sources of informatin (they are) but many of them are fishing for one thing: your hard earned dollar. Top water action has picked up somewhat and it seems like Scum Frogs or other top water frog type baits have been best for me and my clients. I'll give you a hint where I have been catching most of my better fish, and that is off of deep main lake points that connect to a major creek or river channel. Catching numbers of fish has been no problem, but if you want to catch the big buck, you are going to have to work harder. They are smarter than the smaller fish and providing you are smarter than them, you should stick a 7 or 8 pound bass on Stockton Lake this summer. Small mouth bass: Stockton Lake holds the current and previous record for small mouth bass. These fish right now are deep for the most part, and I had a client catch a 4 1/2 pound small mouth a week ago on a 1/2 oz curly tail white jig in 35 feet of water. Another good technique is the drop shot technique, using a 4 inch plastic worm, grub or crawdad. Not only is this profitable, but it is a real blast. Unlike large mouth bass, small mouth bass move a lot, so you need to move a lot. When you find suspended fish with bait, it's a good possibility that they are small mouth bass, therefore, your plan of attack should include either a Little George tail spinner (made by Mann's Bait, which I have used for decades) or Cast Master spoons with white bucktails. You can either vertically fish these lures at the proper depth, or if the fish are suspended more shallow, you'll have to back off, cast to the target, and let the bait drop down through the school on a tight line. The bite will come very quickly, so forget your salami and cheese at this time because you will need all of your concentration. Note: small mouth take 6 years to mature sexually, so if it wasn't for catch and release, the small mouth (like other game species) would all be gone. Crappie: Same as usual, big crappie are deep (25-35 feet). Bouncing the bottom with a minnow off of main lake points seems to be the best technique. Another productive way to catch these big fish is slow trolling small crank baits behind a bottom bouncing rig like those used for walleye. If you want to catch little 9 1/2 inchers all day long, use small minnows on an Aberdeen hook and fish on the marked crappie beds. Catfish: channel cat fishing is good as usual on Stockton. Bank anglers don't have a whole lot of bank to fish off of, but there are a couple of areas where you can fish from the shore (Cedar Ridge, Old State Park). For those of you who wonder why, the lake is up about 9 feet and there is hardly any access from the shore. It seems like night crawlers, chicken livers, and chicken wienies are the most consistent baits. They are not hard to find, any large cove like the coves in the Turkey Creek arm are good places to start. These fish are spawning or beginning to spawn, and it is important that you release the big females. The smaller fish are better to eat and the bigger fish make sure you have smaller fish to eat. Don't stick a big head on your fence because when you kill the big fish, you are wiping out generations of fish to come. This applies for all game fish. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS

June 20, 2007 Stockton Lake Fishing Report Walleye fishing has been fairly consistent from the 215 bridge both north to the dam and in the northeast arm towards State Park. Use your electronics to scope out the main lake points and troll crank baits such as Wiggle Warts or small Bombers and Big Os. It seems the fat bodied lures like these are the best. Experiment with color, but shad colors seem to be the most consistent. You will need to troll these lures at the depth that you scope the fish. If the fish are real deep, you’ll need down riggers or a weighted system (maybe someday someone will invent a sinking deep diver). You need to cover a lot of water and you need to realize that these fish will turn on and turn off like a light switch. That’s why we LOVE walleye. Late in the evening til about 10 or 11 at night seems to be productive also in these same areas. Fish are being caught around the twin bridges at the south end of the lake according to information I have received from other fishermen. Jigs and minnows will work well too when you find the fish. Use a heavy enough jig to keep your bait as vertical as possible. Crappie: my clients have been catching crappie off of deep (25-35 feet) cover/structure on secondary lake points. This is as far as I will go with this information, but I will tell you this: when you find these areas, troll about 1.5 mph with small deep diver crank baits and you’ll catch BIG crappie. I don’t waste time on the marked crappie beds because they get beat to death. Guide’s tip: remember, to catch big fish, you have to fish where big fish live. In the same areas, hold over the spot and use a ¼ oz jig and minnow combination. Try some night fishing under a crappie light. Largemouth bass: with rising water, bass will be scattered along the shore and just off of the shore. Early and late try fishing a floating worm. Texas rig it with no weight, throw it out with a spinning outfit, and let it SLOWLY sink down into the brush. I have caught big fish this way…you will too if you know what you are doing. Do the jig thing on secondary points. A technique that I use is to throw out a ¼ oz or ½ oz jig in 15 feet of water, let it sink, and jerk the jig off of the bottom, then let it fall back again. Keep your line semi tight, and your eyes open. Most of your strikes will come when the jig stops at the top of the jerk or when it is falling. Flipping and pitching has been providing action early and late in your deeper coves. Top water action has been fair in the same areas (deeper coves), particularly on cloudy days. I would fish the area around Cedar Ridge boat ramp. Spinner baits are good one day, and crank baits are good one day; you’ll have to experiment. The bass (like walleye and crappie) have been difficult to pattern this season due in part to consistent heavy rains and the resulting rising water. Do the drop shot rig on the rocks around Cedar Ridge and you will catch fish if you know what you are doing. If you don’t know what you are doing, you need to contact me and I will lead you and guide you into the wonderful world of drop shotting or any other technique you want to learn. White bass: no real consistent top water action as of yet, but we are catching fish deep trolling small crank baits (just like for crappie and walleye) across main lake points. You need to get down deeper than your deep diving crank baits will go, so you need to put on a weight system. White bass have been hit or miss, but the ones we have caught have been in the 3 pound class. Or try vertical spoon jigging through the fish that you spot off the main lake points with your sonar. Marty Thompson Thompson Fishing Guide Service www.fishstockton.com 417-424-BASS