Stockton Lake Guide Service

I don't have any secret fishing docks on stockton, in fact, i don't even have a fishing dock on stockton. The lake should thaw this weekend enough to get out there and catch some fish.

looks like warm weather towards the end of the week. I mean up there, it was 77 and sunny here today. Gonna head home friday and start getting ready to fish!! All I have gotten done down here is talk on the phone and book trips, which is good, but I want fresh crappie asap!! did get a report that it is froze in all directions from twin bridges and in state park and old state park. some 50's and a little wind should change that in a couple days. Has anyone had the guts to go out and try ice fishing?

I can heat my shed for you and flood my yard, but it's the best i can do on short notice.

giving up and going to florida for the rest of the month. After tonight (it's 39 in my bedroom) there isn't any chance of fishing stockton for a few days. The forcast is looking a little frigid also. If anyone really wants to know, the crappie are hitting great, but they are under the ice and there is no way to disprove my theory. I would have had a limit this morning if i wouldn't have watched every episode of andy griffith, gunsmoke, and bonanza, Little Joe got shot in the leg, but he is going to be ok, should be back on tv by tomorrow.

I know it hasn't been warm, but the wind has broke up some of the ice. got to cut me some wood in the morning, but I am determined to make it out on the lake tomorrow sometime. It looks like the only day that is going to work for a while. then i cam going to florida and wait this stuff out. tired of it and I have a little cabin fever, not like the bird flu the broncos had, but i got to get out of here.

tried about everything and everywhere from state park to ruark but everything is iced in. Unless somebody has a good idea, don't waste your time driving up here to catch the crappie. The wind on thursday will hopefully break this up enough to get a boat on the water by friday. Crappie have been going crazy, sure they still are it's just we can't get to them.

Back home and Ruark Bluff is snow free. If you decide to go in the morning, be careful because we all know it is going to freeze up tonight again. I didn't treat the road, letting the sun do that. The rest of the ramps should be open by friday when it rains. If everyone goes tomorrow, please leave me a parking spot, I worked hard getting that all cleaned off Ha Ha. See you all on the lake, crappie and bass should be biting good!!!

I'm headed to Ruark now to clean it off, Hartley should play itself off the next few days. I'll try to post your picture when I get done with Rheuark today

Tuff decision cause I've catching everything close to Ruark but I'm afraid the shad moved since this hit. Call me tonight and I will let u know. U got a preference??

Think I'm gonna go clean off a ramp so I can fish tomorrow. Ruark or Hartley? With all this cold I was thinking bout going main lake but the crappie were all over Ruark before the cold. Anybody else plan in fishing?

I have finally recovered from rotator cuff surgery and the doc is letting me fish after being off the lake for almost 3 weeks. I have had a couple of trips this past week and we have been doing OK, but it isn’t the best bite in the world. They have almost got the lake back to normal, and fall is coming on so the fishing should be heating up. The walleye are pretty much on a summer pattern, but they are not staying in a certain depth. We have caught walleye in 9 foot all the way out to 19 foot. of One morning a buddy of mine caught 21 walleye in 3 hours, but only had 5 keepers. It does seem like the larger fish are biting in 14 to 16 foot of water. Use a night crawler and a jig or a bottom bouncer and you can cast or slow troll, under 1 mph, and keep the bait on the bottom or just off the bottom. The bite is pretty light or you will just feel some weight, that’s when you need to set the hook!! Crappie have been hitting jigs and minnows in brush piles in 14 to 19 foot of water, but again, it seems like you really need to be there at the right time. We had 14 big slabs one evening, went back out the next morning and couldn’t get bit. Catfish are doing pretty good, as the picture shows. The big cats are in brush piles and we are catching several while crappie fishing, but the pan size ones are hitting shad on the flats. Drift fishing is your is your best bet. If you get one of the big ones on while crappie fishing, get it out of the brush quick and then just let it run. Bass are mainly located on points and in brush piles in 20 foot of water. Large worms and jigs fished slowly are the best bet. If you are out fishing in the evening, look for the schools of white bass chasing shad. Its that time of year and they are a blast to catch. Good luck and feel free to call me if you have any questions. Bob Bennett Stockton Lake Guide Service “our service is crappie”

you need to be on the flats and long points and drift fish from 10 to 20 foot of water. If you can throw a net, catch some shad and thread them on a hook, if not, just use crawlers. The catfish have been the easiest fish and the most dependable all summer. Walleye can be awesome one day, nothing the next and crappie are awesome on one brush pile, and one fish on the next. If you have never drift fished, just let the wind blow the boat across the flats. use enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom and a big enough hook to thread the shad from the mouth to the tail. A big gold crappie hook is all I usually use. I should be around tomorrow, wednesday, after about 10 am. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

Stockton lake fishing report Lake level is up 6.40 feet and rising. The water up the rivers is muddy and the main lake is normal to stained. Water temp has dropped off to the upper 70’s to the lower 80’s. That is pretty low for this time of year. As of this report, my rain gauge had 6 inches in it from the past 24 hours. Not bad for a time that is supposed to be hot and dry. With the huge rains we have been getting, catfish are by far the fish that are easiest to catch. When you find current, you will find catfish. I’m even going to give up one of my spots this week, but it will only hold 2 to 3 boats, so use this spot to find some of your own and you will quickly see how easy of a pattern this is after a big rain. I have been going back into greaser, and going back far enough that the creek is only about 40 foot wide, and you can cast all the way across it. Find a spot to tie up and use night crawlers or catch some shad. If you can see water coming in or even flowing backwards in the creek, then you should be able to catch the catfish. Fish in 5 to 7 foot of water and 1 or 2 poles are all you will want to use. They should keep you busy enough. You should be able to get a limit in under a couple of hours. Now if you are going from the bank, then you will have to do some hiking, but it can be done. Find someplace you can hike into and find water coming into the lake by a feeder creek. Then just have your net ready!! The rain has effected the walleye a little but they are still biting some. Even with the cooler water, there are still some fish out on flats and the longer points. Use night crawlers and some spoons to get them to bite. If you have trouble locating them then use the bottom bouncer and move a little faster. They seem to be relating to rocks and drop offs for shade. Crappie have been hit and miss, but when you hit, it’s a big fish. We had 14 all over 11 inches the other day, some really nice fish. Try hitting brush piles in 20 foot of water, and by the time you get there it could be in 25 foot of water. Minnows are working best still, but a few fish are coming on jigs. If you are not finding them in the brush, try secondary points and areas close by where they will be feeding. The white bass have been hitting a little on points. Spoons and road runners fished on the windy main lake points in the hawker point area have been doing pretty good. In the evening be watching for feeding fish up on the flats. Slayem and filletem!! If you have any questions, give me a call at 417-637-2277 Bob Bennett Stockton Lake Guide Service

agreed bfishn, and awesome you reworded that one!! Nice job 9lb... Now with that said, we had been catching some awesome walleye up until saturday. I had a trip yesterday that was very tuff, the worst i have done in a long time. Has anyone did that good since the weekend? Just wondering the if the fish I was on was alseep or maybe 9lber found them and caught them all (just a joke) Got to hit it again early in the morning so hoping the fishing is better than yesterday. took today off to relax, now that I think about it, guess I should have went fishing.

the channels that time of year will be on flats and the best way to fish for them is drift fishing with shad. During the day they will be hanging out in or close to the channel but in the evening we catch alot of them drifting the flats. Since you are fishing from the bank, it would be best to find a spot that has deep water close, and fish about 15 foot of water. I'm sure they bite other places also, but it's the most consistent way i have found to catch them in the summer. I'm hoping the kyle guy was just joking, but for the most part everyone tries to help each other on here.

It has been a very busy spring. Been booked up about everyday, and as of now, booked thru the 1st week of July. I would change jobs but can't find another one that I enjoy this much!! Anyways, the water temp is 67 and clear. the level has been falling but will be rising by the time I finish typing this and you are reading. Walleye are hot!! Caught more limits of walleye on more trips this year than any I can remember. Every once in a while it is a ittle tuff, but we still pick up a few eyes. They have been some really good sizes also, with most over 17" and several over 19". To catch walleye ut a crappie lead head or a pony head on a crappie rod with about 6lb test. you don't need to do anything to fancy. just tip it with 1/2 crawler and drag it around on points in 14 to 20 foot of water. some days they bite so lite you will just feel weight on your rod, set the hook. Most everyone I have talked to has been catching good fish and everyone on trips have gotten walleye. It's been an excellent spring so far!! Crappie are biting, but I have been doing more walleye fishing. The spawn is over, or canceled is more like it. Most of the females are just absorbing the eggs and not laying them. This could really hurt fishing in the next 3 years, so if you don't plan on eating ALL of the fish you keep, try letting a few go. Unless some of the fish got to spawn, it could get really tuff. trolling crankbaits in 40 foot of water is about the best way to catch keepers right now. flicker shad, bandits (stockton state park has them) or other small crankbaits work good. troll the about 1mph or less. With all this rain, catfish will be excellent for the next couple of days. hotdogs, crawlers, livers, whatever you want, but just get way back into a creek, find the current and cast out. It works, they are there, and they are feeding. You will catch cats if you get back in there and try this. Bass are moving out to points and hitting jigs and crankbaits in 5 to 20 foot of water. picking up some nice bass so have some fun with them. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. 417-637-BASS. On a bad side, we had another drowning this week. Another windy day. I am just as guilty as everyone else, but we all have life jackets. We throw them on when running, but take them off when fishing and that is when we will end up in the water. Everyone of us knows that this will never happen to us, you know, were strong swimmers, we pay attention, etc. But never be ashamed to put on your life vest. Do it for your wife, kids, parents, or whoever will be standing on the dock waiting for water patrol to find you. It's simply not worth it. Please keep an eye out around springfield cove, I don't believe they have recovered the victim yet. We all need to learn how to respect this lake a little more. Don't make someone you love go thru this, just put on the life jacket.

the fish should be shallow in the middle of april. we had another good 6 fish night before last, but they are spawning now. with the right weather, they might be up on the points by then and it will be an awesome bite (unless I fish them out before then!!) It's been an awesome spawn bite for the most part and it should keep going good through the spring. as it gets closer info should get a little better. The good thing is the crappie should be on the bank about then.

the first week of april will be the post spawn for walleye. most of the fish caught then should come pretty shallow. It will probably be little before they move up onto the points. you should catch plenty while crappie fishing, but if you want to key on them give me a call a few days before you come down and i will try to give you a few ideas depending on what they are doing.

Zarraspook, I'm giving up the snagging thing too, but the walleye are different story. You can 't give up on stockton, to good of lake!!

Gilly, hope you are doing good. did you get my new cell number? the other number that ends in 8988 goes to the office phone and can't take text. it forwards voice calls but no text. Nathan, you need to key on main lake points, rocky points, which is most all of them on stockton. the main thing is to keep your bait in the right depth. if you catch a fish, look at the depth then stay in it. I like to cast parallel with the bank to keep the bait in the right depth. some of the bites have been really light, then other fish slam it. Lots of people fish the points close to the dam, but you can catch walleye on most all points and fish the banks towards the backs, or at least 1/2 way back. you can also catch lots of fish on secondary points. Hope that helps you out a little bit. I can help more by cleaning and eating any of them that you catch!! Call me if you have any questions or don't understand what I am saying in this. Bob

Well the morning started off around 28, should have stayed on the heated matress pads, but had people on the way. got moving about 8 from my house and like a total loser, drove right by stocktno and all the way to taberville to try to catch some fish that can't bite. all day, pull, pull, pull, and i caught a 65 lb log. nice big log. finally about 3 my cousin gave up, i hurried back to ramp, and off to get the bass boat. put into lake on stockton about 6 and went after the walleye. by 7 we had 5 nice fish in the boat. I had already stopped fishing, it was cold, and kainen was sitting on his hands, but steve kept on throwing the jerkbaits. and it paid off. he ended up with 1 over 16 1 over 20 and 1 over 24. some really nice eyes!! most everyone i talked to are catching good fish, but if you don't understand the pattern, then it's easy to get dicouraged. i have been concentrating in 12 to 15 foot of water with a dark color jerkbait. suspendninng. giving it lots of time between jerks. the bite has been lite the last 2 days. was a little better before this front. keep your bait in 12 foot of water, cast down the banks, don't waste time casting into the banks. lots of bass up there. crappie are missing. the ones i have found are in the standing timber waiting for warm weather. sorry can't help you more. if you have any question, give me a call!!!

sorry about the trip zarraspook. the wind laid about the time you left. cold, but fishing got hot. we had 6 eyes 2 over 20". all were caught between 6:45 And dark. Good think is we didn't get there until 6 so didn't fight the cold wind for long. I don't blame you for taking off. didn't feel like no 59 where I was fishign

The water temp is down to 38 and I have seen some ice forming after a calm night. it was pretty bad last week a couple of mornings. The water is about 7 foot low, which can be dangerous. Be careful out there. Crappie can be caught in 40 foot of water under the shad. walleye are also there. Old state park is loaded with white bass and larger shad. if you like to catch them whites, fish the shad in 40 to 50 foot of water. you will also pick u a coule crappie and some walleye from time to time, but lots of whites. I haven't been doing much bass fishing, but the jig bite has worked better than the jerk bite. at least so far and from the ones i have talked too. All you need to do this time of year is find the shad with your electronics. look in the coves in 30 to 40 foot of water. they could show up on the bottom, as a big ball or they might be scattered out. find the shad, you will find the fish. no shad, then licky if you get dinner. I've got a little time to help our if you are having trouble. give me a call and i will see what i can do for you over the phone. Thanks,

by spring those brush piles you saw today just might be good rabbit hunting

i knew it, you are with the cia