Dutch

You might want to consider launching at Masters. It is closer than Crabtree for you.

My last few trips have been in the Little Sac and mid lake in the Big Sac. Both waters have been producing fish but they have been mostly sub legal. This morning I hit the water at 07:30 and made a winding 10 mile ride up the Big Sac river to skinny water. It is kind of murky up there with visibility less than 2'. I fished a spinner bait for a while and caught 2 keepers on it. I switched to a worm on a steeper bank and caught 2 keepers on it. More fish which were too short came on a spinner bait. Later I moved back down river and fished some brush piles. I got one keeper on a jig vertical fishing in 22 fow. That gave me 5 keepers for the day which is a lot better than I have been doing. I wound up with 14 total. When sweat got to dripping off my nose right about noon I headed for the truck and ate my lunch on the way home.

I caught some of those cruisers on spooks a while back. They are the only decent sized fish I have seen in quite a while. I think I'll run up the Big Sac in the morning and see if there are any spinner bait fish in the off colored water. Then I'll go deep.

The last few trips all I can find is dinks no matter if it is jigs, spinner baits, worms or Ned. I have been in both arms and down around the dam. Have the good fish gone deep or am I just on a bad roll? I have not fished brush piles yet. Is that where they have gone? I'm going back in a couple of days any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Started a box of mostly plastics with a few spinner baits on its way this am. And we have already met.

Where is it located?

It might be worth your time to call the Stockton State Park Office and ask Justin about it. One of his guys may have seen it and took it in. I'd also like to help. I make a lot of plastics, jigs and other stuff. PM me with what he needs other than hard baits which seem to already be covered.

I'm bettin' heavy. I was at Cedar Ridge yesterday. Lots of vehicles in parking lot and lots of campers in the campground. Personally, I'm staying home. Too many toons, jet skis and ride around boats for me.

When I have an issue that I can't solve I send it to Jimmy's Rod & Reel Service in Buchanan, Tennessee. He has always been fast and reliable.

I plan to go there Thursday am. I'm hoping for some early spinner baiting. Is the water a little off color like over in Hartley and Hawker?

I had this jack for less than a year on my last boat trailer. I don't need it on the one I have now. I'll part with it for $50. Local pickup.

Run down 160 to Championship Marine at Spokane.. Tom did my Champ a couple of years ago. It was as good as factory. He will even add a padded front deck if you want.

You might try some marine dealers to see if they have any guys who do that kind of work or check with someone like Tom at Championship Marine he may have or know someone who will do it but plan on dropping some coin.

You lookin' for chemicals or manual labor?

I bought this prop for a back up and only had to use it for a short time. I used it on a TE 82. It has one small ding on one blade. Nit and pin included. It won't fit my X5 so it needs a new home. I'll take $15 for it. Local pick up only.

That does seem a bit different for that part of the world. Makes me glad that I night fish on a different part of the lake.

Like I said they thought it would save the water pump. None of them were engine techs, just carpenters, plumbers, cabinet builders and well drillers.

They were last time I was there except for Hartley. The U shaped one at Hartley was in the water. As low as the lake level is getting they should all be functional by now.

I haven't seen a prop rotate on a motor going down the road in many many years. A long time ago some guys in the club I fished put it in gear like the video because they thought it would save the water pump impellor. All I ever did was use a bungie cord to hold it.

I carry it in the boat all the time. I normally get 2-3 months use out of it. Rarely does it get plugged up. Maybe you leave too much residue on the tip.

I don't know much about walleye but from reading your posts it sure seems that you do. Good goin'.

OK just keep checking in. There are some good guys on here that can help you have a better chance than just hitting it blind.

It swims on top like a cottonmouth. Do copperheads swim on top like that?

Small mouth can be found more easily in the last 5 or 6 miles toward the dam. However, all species are found in all parts of the lake. This spring I was on a smallmouth bit in 20 feet of water. While vacationing there I caught lots of them and only a very few largemouth because the lake was up about 12' and the largemouth were back in the bushes and timber and I did not want to work that hard for fish. Your boat will be big enough to handle Stockton. I used to do it in a 17' Ranger a long time ago. Have you ever been on the lake?

You have selected a good forum for seeking local advice. We have a great group of guys who help each other out when they need it. I'm sure you can pick up some good tips and perhaps a few places to start fishing. A lot of it depends on how you fish and if you have a boat and what size the boat is. Stockton can be a bear in October with the changing frontal conditions and the accompanying winds. I really like to throw spinner baits and buzz baits in October. I also have a boat large enough so that I can fish where the wind is blowing. 3 years ago I spent the month of October there and white spinner baits were the ticket for me. I literally wore out or broke every one that I had. There were none in any area store or marina so I had to drive to Springfield to buy more. The next year I went armed with a dozen of them and they were worthless. My fish were mostly caught on plastics. State park is a good central location if you have a large enough motor to make runs up the tributaries should you decide to fish them. It also affords you the option of launching into the Little Sac at the Marina or across the peninsula at Harley into the Big Sac. A little more information from you about you rig and type of fishing you do will help people give you better advice. My suggestion to you is to follow this forum and see what is being posted and ask more questions as the time draws nearer.