Stockton Lake Guide Service

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they have to move around because I ain't caught a crappie in water over 25' since late summer. You people must be down by that big rock wall on the north end of the lake. that's where the deep fish hang out, at least what i hear.

Crappie are going strong on jigs in 20 foot of water along bluffs, over brush piles and along channel swings. Catching some big fish! Look at a lake map and find spots along the channel that come up to the 20 foot mark. From there your best bet is to find a brush pile in that area. The closer to the channel the better the fishing. Bass are hitting jigs and plastics on points and secondary points in 12-15 foot of water. Steaper banks seem to work better. Most of the walleye I have been catching have been mixed in with the crappie fishing. If you want to concentrate on walleye I would use nightcrawler rigs on points. Some of the years best crappie fishing is coming up in the next month. If you need help, I am taking 2 people out for 6 hours or your limit of crappie for only $125.00 Thats cheaper than taking the entire family to red lobster and you get fresh fish (at least that is the plan) I still have some openings next week and thursday of this week. Give me a call and i'll help you find some fish!

they start back in april. lost your number so give me a call. crappie are going strong!!

Sorry, but I went hunting and my boat has been down for 6 weeks. I've been borrowing boats and trying to take as many people out as possible. The report will be a little short since I haven't had time to go fishing much, but here it is. Crappie are good on bluffs, brush piles, and channel swings in 20 foot of water on 1/16 and 1/8 oz jig heads with 2-3" triple ripples. color seems to vary day to day, so take a lot of different colors. This is the best time of year to catch crappie, so get out there in the cold and catch a few. I personally like the heavier jig head because it falls faster and gets to the fish. Give it a try and you will be impressed with the results. Don't waste to much money on minnows right now, the crappie will hit jigs just as easy. Bass are biting on steep points on jigs and plastic in 15 foot of water. work it slow and move on if you don't get bit. Walleye are being caught while crappie fishing, so if you want to catch walleye then fish the same area as the crappie. I personally like to just crappie fish this time of year and catch the eyes as they come in. My boat is finally finished. I still have the $125 special for a 6 hr crappie trip. Great deal and you can find some new places to catch fish. Includes 2 people and we fish for 6 hrs or until you both have a limit. Whichever comes first. Happy thanksgiving to everyone and give me a call if you have any questions.!!!

Lake level is about 872.79 and starting to level off it looks like. Supposed to rain another inch tomorrow and, well another front is supposed to pass thru. Perfect conditions to test your skills out on the lake. The lake came up about 4 foot in 2-3 days. The sac river and turnback are a mud pit. I went up there saturday where I had been catching some big fish, but that was a mistake. It took me over an hour to get there due to the fog and logs floating down the lake. The water temp in the river was 52 which was down 12 degrees from a week ago. Anyways, the walleye have started to move up for the fall feed. Crankbaits on the points and secondary points are your best bet. With the rising water and the rapid cooldown, these fish might be all the way back into the brush, which can make them near impossible to get to. Look for points that don't have as much brush up on them and try fishing for the walleye shallower if you don't find them in front of the brush. Trolling will work, but the fish move pretty shallow in the fall to feed, so casting will probably work better. Remember that the walleye school, so if you catch one work the area hard. Bass are biting good on square bill crankbaits in shallow water. The backs of coves and creeks are your best bet to catch a good number of fish. The tournament was won on a jig bite in deep brush piles. The problem is if you don't know where these brush piles are then you will be burning daylight. I used a lucky craft bait all day saturday and we ended up with 5 keepers and we probably caught 15 fish between 1130 and 230. The bite seems to get better as the day goes on, and if you have a little sunlight. Watch for the shad in the backs of the coves. If you don't have shad then you probably won't have many fish either. It's not an easy thing if you are not used to fishing shallow, but keep casting and keep trying and it's a lot of fun once you figure it out. Crappie have been really good in brush piles and off points on jigs and minnows in 15-20 foot of water. If you find the right spot you can load the boat up, but if not then you get a lot of little fish, under the 10" limit. I have a special going thru dec. for 2 people, up to 6 hours, for only $125.00. If you have trouble catching these fall crappie give me a call and I will take you out and show you some spots. Fall fishing is by far the best time to catch big crappie. Catfish have slowed down on the flats, but if you find water coming in, like the very back of the creeks, then you can load the boat up with channel cat. Just don't catch over 10, because then you would be overloaded. Good luck to everyone. Remember to keep your hook sharp and give me a call anytime if you have any questions. The best number is 417-208-9535.

We had a really cold start this morning for the tournament. The fog was really heavy, which delayed take off by 30 minutes. It was about 42 degrees at take off, with lots of fog and very little wind. The water temp ranged from 62 around the twin bridges to 52 above the Greenfield ramp. As usual, it took a big bag of fish to win. 1st place was won by throwing jigs into deep brush piles. 2nd place was won by throwing lipless crankbaits in the backs of the creeks (or so I heard) and can’t tell you what third place did to take third. I can say that throwing crankbaits in the backs of coves and creeks will produce some fish, and if you get into the right place at the right time it can produce some good fish. Here are the results: 1st place Jay Carter and Perry Ayres 5 fish 18.88 lbs $600.00 2nd place Vic McQuay and Tim Johnson 5 fish 13.88 lbs $400.00 3rd place Alex Sahiyeh and Erick Prey 5 fish 12.54 lbs $300.00 4th place Chad McManis and Dan Arnold 5 fish 10.70 lbs Nice Job 5th place Bob Bennett and Steve Meents 5 fish 10.59 lbs OK Job Total for the tournament we had 14 boats the qualified to fish for $1,300.00. There was no cost for the tournament, but big bass pot was $20.00 per boat. We caught a total of 39 fish, which were released following the weigh-in Big Bass-Jay Carter and Perry Ayres------------------------------ 6.57 lbs $250.00 And everyone that wanted threw in an extra $10.00 for the side pot which gave another $110.00 to the winners. Congrats on a great day. Thanks to everyone that fished Thursday Evenings this year and we will start back up fishing again in April. Make plans now to attend, the more boats the more fish off money!!

still waiting to hear from 2 different peeps for you. I'm sure something will come up, so just keep your hook sharp.

What a difference a day makes. I was out yesterday and tried some areas hoping the fish had moved up. Didn't have any luck other than short fish. Went back out this morning and we had 10 keepers, 2 over 5 lbs, and top 5 probably went 20 lbs. Fish are mainly located on the flats and we caught most fish on crankbaits. The windy side caught more fish. Had one of the big fish on plastic, but the other 9 came on crankbaits. One short on a spinnerbait, don't know what they aren't chasing one of these, but they seem to prefer the cb. Had better luck on the flats closer to deeper water. Hope this helps some. Lots of big fish out there, so good luck!! Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you find some fish, but if you concentrate on the flats, you should find some fish.

It's gotten tough over the past few days. My trip Sat was really tough. Didn't catch much. Had some fish on a 200 bandit, but they were few and far between. Not like normal on Stockton. I think the weather has things messed up. I didn't make it past twin bridges sat, we fished north all day. Friday we stayed south and did better on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. It should get better soon. The water is cooling off and the fish should start biting better this week. I think the weather is supposed to be a little more normal after the cold front tonight. Wish I could give you some better info.

hopefully have more info tomorrow. there were some in the brush today, but it was a soft bite and tough to catch.

Level 868 and rising temp 73 Sorry this is gonna be a little short but I have another trip in the morning and saturday and am running way behind. Walleye are moving up on points on the main lake and up the rivers. Use rattletraps and crankbaits for the best bite. Keep the bait between 8-15 foot, but some of these fish will move shallower during cloudy days or early/late. Bass have been biting crankbaits, baby 1-, and bandit 100 and 200's the best. Haven't got into a good spinnerbait bite yet, but it's any day now. Lots of shad in shallow water and the bass are starting to feed as the water continues to cool. It was only 73 today on the main lake. Top water bite is crazy good (is that a word) in the mornings. I'm hoping I don't oversleep and get on them early tomorrow. Pop r's and chug bugs seem to work best. don't know why the spook bite doesn't work, maybe it's spooking them. I don't know but I can't get them to bite it. Crappie have moved to brush piles in 12-14 foot of water or around steeper banks. jigs and road runners work the best, but the minnow bite is always there. Catfish are still excellent on flats up around the 39 bridge on sons creek. and up the sac river arm. Sorry bout the condensed version, but got to get to bed. Good luck to all and give me a call if your out there and need anything. 417-208-9535.

If enough people are interested in fishing saturday tournaments this winter I don't mind putting them on like once a month or something. Give some input or send me emails and let me know., If we can get enough boats together to make it worth the time then lets give it a try. Include if for sure you can fish, preference on boat ramp, time 7-2 would probably be best or till 3. and which saturday of the month would be best. Could start as early as November, but don't be picking the sat in deer season. I won't be there to take off or weigh in. My pref is mutton creek, 1st sat starting in November and going thru march (5 tournaments total) and fishing 7-3 (unless I get cold then I will come in early) Let me know and I will get the permits etc. Also, how much does everyone want to pay. Times are tough for some with the economy so around 70 per boat and 10 for big bass is what I was thinking. We can either do a 95-100 payback, or a fishoff in April and pay back less for the year. don't matter to me, I just don't want to do all the work for 5 or 6 boats. Ok, rambled on enough so everyone let me know what they want to do.

If you qualified for the final fish off from the thursday evening tournaments then here is the info. Tournament- October 10th, 2009 Where-Ruark Bluff boat ramp Time-7:00 am-3 pm Cost-Free for tournament-If you want to get into the big bass pot it is $20.00 which will be 100% payback. Payback- $1,300 in the pot not including the big bass money. 1 in 7 payback but only boats that qualified can fish. Having trouble getting the list to load, so if you want to know if you made it then send me an email and I will get you your boat number etc. Thanks to everyone that fished this year. Lots of fun even though I didn't win much money. Had some people say they saw that it was listed on October 9th. I cant find this mistake but the tournament is on saturday October 10, 2009.

Water temp 75-77 Walleye have been biting but there are lots of smaller fish. There are still some fish on the flats, however more reports are coming in that fish are being caught on points with crankbaits. As the water cools the fish should be concentrated on points. Your best bet now would be to either throw or troll crankbaits over main lake points in 10-14 foot of water. There are also walleye that are moving up the creeks to feed, so keep on the move until you find the fish. Bass are excellent first thing in the morning on topwater baits, chug bug, pop r, but the zara spook bite didn't seem to work as good. As the sun comes up this bite goes away quickly. On cloudy days the bite should keep going, but if it's sunny move out a little and throw plasics in 10-15 foot of water or work brush piles in shallower water. This is the time of year that the bass will start to become more active and the bite will turn on as we head into fall. It's a great time to be on the lake. There are lots of fish under the limit, and some smallmouth that are biting. They'll keep you occupied until that big bass comes up to feed. Crappie are fair on jigs in brush piles on the main lake. I think some of these fish have left the brush and are moving into shallower water to start feeding. I didn't fish for crappie very long, but the bite from last week is about over. The crappie tournament found some good fish in the little sac arm on Sunday. Most of these fish were caught on standing timber around the maize creek area. Catfish are still biting on flats on fresh shad, but not as good as last week. The bite, with all the fronts coming thru, has slowed. We had 4 channel cats on saturday but they were harder to come by. I think these fish will continue to bite if we can get some stable weather for a day or two. The fishing isn't as good as last week, but this will change quickly as these fish start feeding heavy for the winter. If you don't find fish deep, then go to shallower water and hit points and the backs of the creeks. Look for shad and you should find some fish. Thanks and good luck. If you have any questions you can email me or give me a call at 417-208-9535.

Some of the fish are starting to transition to their fall patterns, while some are still biting the same way as they have all summer. Walleye have been good in 12-20 foot of water on night crawlers and some are hitting crankbaits and rattletraps on points. Either way should catch you some fish. The bite seems to be best North of the y highway bridge, but that's also where I have been fishing more. I'm sure you can find fish on points up either of the arms. If you decide to go the night crawler pattern, fish in 18-20 foot of water and drift the crawlers on an 1/8 oz jig head (you can use bigger if the wind is blowing hard) If you catch a fish, mark the depth and work that area hard. Don't be afraid to try to go shallower if you don't get hit deep. The crankbaits and rattletrap bite is picking up. Your best bet is to work inside, outside, and straight out on the point. work several depths to locate the fish. They will usually be shallower on the cloudy days, but if the sun comes out they will either move deeper or slow down. Bass are moving to the backs of the coves and chasing shad. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits are working best. Look for the shad and work that area hard. This lake holds some big bass, and they have to eat, so do your best to imitate a wounded shad, and you increase your chance of a hit. The topwater bite has really picked up also. Chug bugs and pop r's are getting the best bites, but buzzbaits will work also. Again, work from secondary points back, but if the sun is up high, you need to slow down and/or go deeper. Most of the fish are coming in 12 foot or less. Crappie have been awesome. Still catching some good fish in brush about 20 foot deep, but some of these fish are starting to move up to feed for the winter. Don't pass up fish chasing shad thinking they are always bass/white bass. I've never seen them chasing like the whites do, but crappie will chase shad and you can throw a road runner into them and catch lots of big crappie fast. It only takes a few cast to figure out if they are there. Points are the other place the crappie are hitting now as they stage to go back to feed for the winter. Catfish are still hitting excellent. Fresh shad is the best bait. "thread" the shad on a #2 crappie hook (or you can go a lil bigger) and use a big enough split shot to get to the bottom then float across the flats in 10-20 foot of water. If weve had lots of rain try the backs of the creeks where water is flowing in to the lake. It's been a great fall for the catfish and a great way to take a grandparent/grandchild or someone who just wants to "catch" fish and doesn't like fishing. White bass should be hitting the surface still, but I haven't been out in the evening for the past couple nights. Trying to stay away till the weekend is over now. Be careful this weekend and watch out for the tubers/jet skis and all the kids in the water. As always feel free to call me at 417-208-9535 if you have any questions. This is a new "google" phone number that rings home/cell at same time then if you leave a message it sends me a text on my cell if I can't answer. Makes me feel important when I get these but don't call after 10, I'll be asleep.

Congrats and glad to hear we could give you some help. Keep working at it and they will start getting a little easier.

Don't forget to come out to ruark bluff this thursday at 6 pm and fish the final thursday evening of the year. Final results will be posted asap following the results. The fish off is scheduled for October 10, 2009, ruark bluff.

I have to agree moflash. I don't want these things in the lake. I wish there was a way to convince everyone of this, but it I don't know if everyone knows how serious this will be if they take over the lake. And hopefully everything that I have read on these things are wrong, because it really doesn't appear that enough people care if they contaminate our lakes. Most people believe there is nothing that can be done to stop them from getting into the lake. In reality, they are probably going to win this argument, but until they are proven to be right I would like to see everyone make an effort to keep their boats cleaned out if they have been to any other lake. It's the only way to keep them from getting here.

Lake Level 867.80 Water temp 80 Walleye are still being caught on main lake flats and points in about 18 foot of water. The best bait has been a night crawler and jig combo. Some days are better than others. The fish have had a lot of pressure this summer and the keepers are a little harder to come by. There are still people doing some trolling, but most are saying they are catching short fish doing this. I think your best bet is a slow presentation with the night crawler. Bass fishing is fair to good. Focus on main lake brush in about 20 foot of water. Plastics, jigs and some crankbaits have worked best. The water has cooled a little bit so if you are not getting bit in deeper water, then move to some shallower water and give it a try. Crappie are biting great in brush piles in 18-20 foot of water on jigs and minnows. If you hit the right brush pile you can catch a limit of fish, the wrong one will get you lots of small ones. Your best bet is fishing the brush piles that are closer to the channel or on a channel swing. We had a limit this evening and one that went 15"! I can't get the camera to load the pics right now and you would all make fun of the shirt I was wearing anyways. Maybe tomorrow I will try it again. White Bass have been surfacing lake wide. While we were crappie fishing this evening we could see them out in the middle of the lake chasing the shad. Focus on main lake flats and inside of points and in the coves. Rooster tails work great as well as anything that you can keep a foot or two under the surface, like a rattle trap or small shallow crankbaits. If you want to have more fun, then they have been hitting chug bugs and pop r's really good from about 6:30 till dark, which is the best time to catch them Catfish are very good to excellent while floating across points and on flats with fresh shad. There is plenty of them to catch in the lake, just practice throwing the net before you get there. Stay in water between 8' and 20'. Once you have caught a few, then you can focus on the depths that the fish are located. Great way to take a kid or grandparent etc fishing. Doesn't require much casting or attention span this time of year. They should keep biting for a couple of more weeks unless we keep cooling this fast. Hope this helps you find something to catch! Good luck and stay safe. OK, here is the pic of the big one, but you can't make fun of the shirt. It was a joke and who knew I would catch a 15" fish while wearing it.

Next week is the last thursday evening tournament of the year. The fish off will be held on October 10, 2009 from safe light till 2:30. We will have a little bbq and hand out the money etc at the dinner. I would hand it out at the weigh in but I want to hold on to it for just a bit longer, LOL. Following the final evening tournament on the 27th, we will be cooking some brats and hanging out for a little bit after the tournament. The top 60% will make the fish off. The final points will be on the website next thursday with the cutoff etc. We will be fishing for over 1,000.00 so if you make the tournament, make sure to come out and fish. The only cost will be an optional big bass pot. This week was won by Mike Dill and Sherman Wilkerson. They were the only boat that had 5 fish and they weighed 15.97 lbs. 2nd place was won by Justin and Mike McManis who caught 4 fish that weighed 14.67 lbs Big bass was caught by mcmanis and it weighed 6.03 lbs. Great job to these guys. Fishing has gotten a little tuffer over the past week. Lots of short fish, but the big ones are hiding. See you all next thursday and don't forget to stay for brats after the weigh in.

Hey and I don't want anyone thinking I am trying to be a jerk about this or anything. I believe that someone from somewhere probably won't care enough and will just launch their boat and we will get them here one day. But I would hope that anyone that reads this doesn't want that someone to be them. If everyone will work together then maybe we can get the doc or corp to do something. I don't understand why they didn't put in an area that you are required to back your boat into and flush everything prior to entering the lake. I just want to see everyone put forth the best effort to stop them from getting into our lake. Stockton is the best lake in this state for fishing, scenery, and we even got a dollar general in greenfield and stockton. What else do you need? It does appear that it will happen someday, but if we can change that attitude to we don't want them in this lake, then we just might either delay it long enough until a solution is found to stop the spread. They are working on all kind of things now, so the possiblility does exist that we can stop this from happening. My last post on this was not meant to offend anyone, I just don't want these things messing up our lake. Thanks and hope everyone is willing to get involved and help stop them.

But for now they are not in Stockton. If all the fisherman will take a role in making sure boats are cleaned out, and ask the recreational boaters if they have been on any other lake for the past 4-5 days then we might be able to stop them from getting in this lake. Maybe they are already here, but until it's proven I think we have a duty to keep our lake clean. Why cant conservatioin put up stations at each boat ramp to inspect and clean boats for the rest of this year. Has anyone tried putting a boat wash in where you back in your boat, start it up run pumps etc and then you are allowed to use the boat ramp. There is a way to stop these from entering our lake but it will take a huge effort on all our parts to keep it from happening. What does everyone else think? I don't want to see this lake any different. The fishing is great now, perfect color, and big fish. We don't need mussels. Keep posting ideas other than we are going to get them anyways and just maybe we can get it stopped. Good fishing to all, but if you are coming from another lake please respect STockton and clean you boat as instructed. Thanks for reading. Here is the way to clean you boat per the mdc. How You Can Help Prevent Their Spread If you are a water recreationist (boater, angler, water-skier, scuba-diver, sailor or canoeist) there are some important things you can do to prevent the transport of zebra mussels and other harmful exotic species from one lake or river to another. In some states and provinces it is illegal to transport harmful exotic species. Zebra Mussels: In-Depth Prevention Tips Click to view full frame To prevent the spread of zebra mussels throughout Missouri and North America - and to keep your own equipment from being fouled - please observe the following "clean boating" suggestions when transporting your boat from waterway to waterway. Inspect Thoroughly inspect your boat's hull, drive unit, trim plates, trolling plates, prop guards, transducers, centerboards, rollers, axles, anchor, anchor rope and trailer. Scrape of and trash any suspected mussels, however small. Remove all water weeds hanging from the boat or trailer before leaving any water body. Drain Drain water from the motor, livewell, bilge and transom wells and any other water from your boat and equipment while on land before leaving any water body. Dump Trash leftover bait on land, away from water, before leaving any water body. Leftover live aquatic bait that has contacted infested waters should not be taken to uninfested waters. Rinse When you get home - before launching your boat into uninfested waters - thoroughly rinse and dry the hull, drive unit, livewells (and livewell pumping system), bilge, trailer, bait buckets, engine cooling system and other boat parts that got wet while in infested waters; use a hard spray from a garden hose. If your boat was in infested waters for a long period of time, or if you find any attached adult mussels, use HOT (104 F) water instead of cold, or tow the boat through a do-it-yourself carwash and use the high pressure hot water to "de-mussel" your boat. Do not use chlorine bleach or other environmentally unsound washing solutions. Dry Boats, motors and trailers should be allowed to dry thoroughly in the sun for at least five days before boating again. In the Slip In infested waters, the best way to keep a hull mussel-free is to run the boat frequently (small juvenile mussels are quite soft and are scoured off the hull at high speeds). On boats which remain in the water, zebra mussels can attach to drive units, cover or enter water intakes, and clog, overheat and destroy the engine. If possible, leave outboards or outdrives in the up position. Periodically inspect hulls and drive units, and scrape free of mussels. Pump hot water through your engine's intake on a regular basis to prevent mussel growth inside the engine's cooling system. Identify the Enemy Learn what these organisms look like (at least those you can see). If you suspect a new infestation of an exotic plant or animal, report it to your natural resource agency. Consult the agency for recommendations and permits before you try to control or eradicate an exotic "pest." Remember, exotic "pest" species thrive on disturbance. Do-it-yourself control treatments often make matters worse and can harm native species. Where to Look for Zebra Mussels * Boats * Bait bucket * Recreational watercraft * Sailboats To report a potential zebra mussel sighting or for additional information, contact your nearest Missouri Conservation Department Office or: The Invasive Species Coordinator at Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 or Phone: 573-522-4115 ext. 3371 Several Missouri Stream Teams already are helping by monitoring streams for zebra mussels. If you would like to join the effort, call (800) 781-1989 or visit the Stream Team web-site at www.mostreamteam.org.

This was just reported and we all need to do all we can to prevent the spread to Stockton!! Make sure your boat is cleaned before you put your boat in the lake if you fish in ANY other lake. It does not matter if you are going from there to here or here to there, if everyone will get the word out and everyone will take the time to do what they know needs to be done, then it is possible to stop the spread to Stockton Lake. Here is a copy of the article. you can google invasive mussels in missouri and see how to clean your boat. A non-native species that poses a threat to Missouri's sport fish population has been found in a local lake. KSMU's Michele Skalicky has more... Zebra mussel larvae or veligers have turned up in samples taken from Pomme de Terre Lake north of Springfield. Tim Banek is invasive species coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation… "Pomme de Terre wasn't a reservoir that we expected that would turn up positive for zebra mussel veligers, so I was quite surprised that they were found in those samples." According to Banek, three different samples were taken with a plankton net, and all three turned up positive. Samples taken from Stockton and the Truman Reservoir were negative for zebra mussels. Lake of the Ozarks samples were positive. Two-thirds of water samples taken this summer remain to be checked for zebra mussel veligers including Table Rock, Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals. Biologists are concerned about their spread because they pose a threat to Missouri’s economy as well as its ecology… "Zebra mussels are filter feeders. They filter and feed on the plankton that's in the water, and that's the same thing that a lot of our aquatic animals feed on--larval fish and other things feed on the same types of things. And, some of the things that they do is they compete with our native species for the primary producers in the food chain." Banek says zebra mussels can have a significant impact on the sport fish ... "Certainly it would have not only an economic effect on those locally making their living on the reservoir marinas and bait sales and things like that, but also on the state economy as a whole." Zebra mussels are believed to have come to North America from Eurasia in the 1980s. It’s believed they arrived in the Great Lakes in the ballast tanks of oceangoing ships. According to Tim Banek, copper sulphate has been used in smaller lakes to eradicate the zebra mussel, but that method is cost prohibitive for larger lakes. He says research is ongoing to find new techniques for eradicating them. Meanwhile, boat owners need to take precautions to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. Banek says they should allow boats and other equipment to dry in the sun for at least five days before re-launching in another lake or stream.

Where the walleye are at that time will be determined by what the weather is like. You could still catch them on the points on rattle traps, or they might have moved out by then if we get some colder weather. If it has turned that cold, and the walleye have moved deep, then I would recommend crappie fishing and you are more than likely going to pick up a walleye while fishing for the crappie. It's a great time of year to fish, so your best bet is keep a good eye on the weather and as it gets closer someone should be able to tell you where and how they are biting. Personally, I would move a little further south on the lake that time of year to try to find them. Let me know if I can help you anymore (since this is pretty vague now) as the time gets closer. Thanks