April 23, 2008 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

[Thompson Fishing Guide Service]

April 23, 2008 Stockton Lake Fishing Report

Current lake level 881.87

Normal pool 867

Water temperature 64.3 (up 8 degrees from 3 days ago)

According to the Corps, no ramps are technically closed. However, there are definitely some that are better than others. No docks that were pulled (Crabtree, Hawker Point to name two) have been put back. Cedar Ridge and Ruark Bluff are two of the best, along with RB. Both Mutton Creek docks are under water, along with CC. Putting in at the marinas is dicey because of the lack of space to turn around and lack of space to park. Be prepared…bring your tall rubber boots and your boat bumpers because some of the docks that are open are just high enough that after you put your boat in, it will smash up on the underside of the dock.

This year, like last year, because of the cold rain and rising water, the fishing has been very predictable. When the water drops 10 degrees like it did two weeks ago, the fish shut down. When you get 4 days of stable weather, the fishing picks up. This is particularly true in the fall and the spring when major environmental changes are underway. Something a fisherman needs to realize is that the rising water is not what hurts the fishing; in the spring it is quite the contrary. If the rains are warm, they increase the water temperature as opposed to cold rain which makes the water temp drop drastically and immediately.

White bass are being caught in the Aldrich area near the 123 bridge and High Point. Fish are also being caught around Cedar Ridge and a few are turning up around Masters and Crabtree Coves. White and chartreuse rooster tails, road runners and 3 inch curly tailed jigs are catching fish. There are still big females in these areas that have not yet spawned out. When you locate fish, for the most part they should be relatively shallow… anywhere from 3-10 feet deep. White bass (like striped bass) swim up tributaries and deposit their eggs, the males then fertilize the eggs, and then the party’s over. White bass do not build nests and they need a certain amount of current to help in the germination process. I predict that as the weather stabilizes in May, white bass along with crappie, largemouth and walleye will be more predictable and will adjust to their summer pattern.

Guide’s note: 4 things motivate fish activity whether you are a yellow fin tuna, or a channel cat: water temperature, barometric pressure, food and the impulse to spawn.

White bass are where you find them and as the fish filter back into the main body of water after the spawn, I’d search the main lake points with my depth finder, and cover as much water as you can.

Crappie: in the Son and Sac arms of the lake, upper regions of Maze and Turkey Creek, crappie have started to move into the spawning grounds. When the water temperature stabilizes around 60-65 degrees, the crappie are ready to spawn. However, most of the lake is not at that point yet, therefore the crappie are still around 15-20 feet deep waiting for the water temperatures to rise. Not all fish in a system as big as Stockton Lake spawn at the same time. The Corps has been releasing some water, but hopefully the levels will remain high until the spawn is over. The river channel below the spillway is already way up, so they can’t release too much (in theory). Like last year, this should be a productive nursery spawn, which means because the water is way up in the brush, the survivability rate of little fish is infinitely greater than when the water is low. Your large crappie (those bigger than your eater size) should be released to reproduce again. Big females are called brood fish for the simple fact that they are the production machines of a fishery. If fishermen kill enough large trophy fish, over a period of time, it will affect the overall quality of a fishery. Selective harvest is therefore a necessity.

Secondary points are where some fish are being caught right now in around 15-20 feet of water before they move into the actual spawning locations. Medium sized minnows on 3/8 oz jig drifted across these points have been catching a few fish for my clients. You need to cover a lot of water because these fish are spread out this time of the year. As the weather stabilizes this next week or two (hopefully) the spawn will begin over a wide scale on the southern end of the lake and as time goes on, progress towards the dam. In actuality, crappie should be in full swing in the spawn now, but the conditions are not right because of the weather.

Walleye fishing has been a little slow, however fish are starting to turn up off points in Mutton Creek, Ruark Bluff, and the 215 bridge just to name a few places. Fish have been hitting on jigs and minnows and just plain jigs without minnows with a curly tailed body white or chartreuse. The stained to murky water (depending on where you are) will have a lot to do with determining the depth of the fish. Late in the afternoon or early evening, fish will move up shallower (8-10 feet) and hang out along the brush lines. Minnow type baits and Rattle Traps in shad colors and clown colors work well at this time. Cover a lot of water.

Marty Thompson

Thompson Fishing Guide Service

www.fishstockton.com

417-424-BASS